


Big Things Come In Small Packages

by Ultimatefan



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Stargate Universe
Genre: ...OH BY THE WAY THERE'S A TWIST, Alien Cultural Differences, BUT IT'S ALIENS, Bathtub Sex, CAUSE I DON'T WANNA SPOIL ZE TWIST, Dry Humping, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, I'M NOT SAYING IT'S ALIENS, M. Night Shamalan be jelly bruh, May Day Menagerie, Naked Cuddling, OKAY SO TAGS ARE REALLY HARD FOR THIS FIC, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sexual Tension, Touching, Vaginal Fingering, What A Twist!, first Rushelle fic!, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-01
Updated: 2017-12-31
Packaged: 2018-10-26 03:57:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10779090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ultimatefan/pseuds/Ultimatefan
Summary: When Destiny arrives at yet another planet the crew has never encountered, a recently unlocked database gives them important information regarding the inhabitants of the planet. Doctor Rush and a small group of crew members are assigned to gather supplies, and more important info to add to the database for the ship. When Dr. Rush is the only one who makes it through the Gate and onto the planet's surface, he initially thinks it's a catastrophe, but soon comes to realize that this little glitch in their plans could've been the best possible outcome for him...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WorryinglyInnocent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WorryinglyInnocent/gifts).



> ....THIS IS THE MOST UNORIGINAL TITLE TO EVER TITLE. I CAN'T EVEN YOU GUYS *facedesk*  
> I WANTED to call it "The Dorkiest Dorks to Ever Dork", but that would make absolutely zero sense, but so help me God I am so writing another fic and it's getting that title cause I can't leave it alone now lol
> 
> OKAY! SO!  
> MAY DAY MENAGERIE 2017 FIC!
> 
> This piece of ridiculousness is for the ever so lovely worryinglyinnocent!!  
> YOU ARE MAGICAL AND I LOVE YOU, AND I LOVE YOUR FICS, AND I'M GONNA GO BE WEIRD IN A CORNER NOW COOLBYE
> 
> P.S. Fate has decided to smile upon me! Apparently we've been given a bit of an extension on our due date for the Menagerie, which, frankly, I plan to use to the fullest, especially since I technically have more to do on this thing (cause apparently my imagination went fucking NUTS and i bit off more than i could chew probably ^^; )! ....However! I'm posting this chapter 'in good faith', if you will, to prove that YES! Despite the absolute INSANITY that has been my life for the past, what, 5 months or so, has actually produced something that I can only hope to God is worthy enough to be looked upon by one of my favorite Rumbelle authors EVER (no srsly)!   
> WE ARE NOT WORTHY OF YOUR AWESOMENESS *leaves offerings of wine and cookies and such* ....but for real though, I unfortunately figured out quite recently that Monday is going to be INSANELY busy, so wanted to post at least this chapter ASAP for everybody to enjoy, especially Worry :3  
> Also, Worry, you can bet your awesome author butt that there will be a Tumblr post singing your praises and whatnot MUCH more than i can do on here, so there's that too lol  
> Hope you enjoy this!! <3 <3 <3 <3

         Doctor Nicholas Rush still couldn’t believe what he saw. Of all the miracles that could’ve happened upon Destiny, getting one of the largest databases full of information about other planets up and running again was one of the greatest ones the crew had seen in a while. Eli had done a fantastic job helping to get the system back in working order again, but at this moment Rush wanted to strangle him.

         Destiny was approaching a planet the crew had, surprise surprise, never been to before. This was supposed to be the moment when everyone would be thanking their lucky stars that that database was functioning again, but unfortunately, even this seemingly large database didn’t seem to have a whole lot of info on this planet. In reality, Rush knew poor Eli was doing the best he could to try and scrounge up info that could be useful in the inevitable trip onto the planet’s surface, but Rush was tired and cranky from a severe lack of sleep, and he was growing very bitter towards everyone on the ship, even those he liked.

         Thankfully, Eli did manage to find _some_ info on the planet, but most of the very sparse info was about the inhabitants, and, from what he was reading, it sounded like a species of lizard people of some kind were living there. How interesting…

            “Apparently they come in different colors… Red, grey, gold, green…” Eli prattled on, describing what Rush could very clearly read for himself in Ancient.

            Lieutenant Johanssen’s eyes seemed to light up as Eli listed the colors of the creatures and some other bits of info on them. Rush found himself getting slightly nervous though when she turned toward him with a wide, mischievous smile on her face.

            “We should dress you up in _gold_ when you get sent there!” she said.

            “…Why on _Earth_ would I do that, Lieutenant?” Rush responded.

            “’Cause I think you’d look good in that color!” she nodded cheerfully.

            He rolled his eyes, but decided to go with her request. It’s not like he was the _only_ one who was going to be looking absolutely ridiculous, right?

****  
  
            Later, Rush, Colonel Young, Lieutenant Scott and Greer were all ‘decorated’ and set to go explore the new planet. He couldn’t _believe_ he was actually doing this… Rush was the only one ‘dressed’ in the gold color, but he decided to not let it bother him.

 

            Eli was at the helm, switching on the Gate to transport them onto the planet’s surface.

 

            “Good luck, and may the force be with you!” he grinned as Rush began to walk through the Gate.

 

            Thankfully, Rush made it through okay, and decided to look around for a moment before the small group would inevitably get horribly lost or something equally ridiculous, but that moment… didn’t seem to happen. Confused, Rush turned toward the Gate, talking into his radio.

 

            “Eli! Why has no one else come through yet?” he barked.

 

            “I…I have no clue, Doctor Rush! Let me try something else…” he rambled.

 

            Rush sighed with annoyance. Could _no one_ run things on Destiny without his help? As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he did have a bit of a soft spot for Eli, but that strange boy still had the capacity to royally fuck things up, _that_ was for certain.

 

            Suddenly, his radio beeped at him again.

 

            “Are you seeing an arm coming through the portal, Rush?” Eli asked.

 

            “N-no… Should I be?” Rush asked a touch nervously.

 

            “What the _hell_ is going on?” Eli babbled.

 

            Rush could hear Brody in the background, barking orders at poor Eli to ‘fix this problem immediately’ and all sorts of nonsense that he knew Eli couldn’t do instantly. It’s not like any of them could ‘poof’ away their problems with magic or anything, this was _reality_! …Well, sort of ‘reality’, anyways…

 

            After some semi-muted noise, Rush heard Brody on the radio.

 

            “I _really_ hate to do this to you, Rush, but I don’t think any of the other crew members can make it through The Gate right now… We’ll try everything we can think of to get some help out to you, but for now just stick close to the Gate, and-“ Brody got cut off.

 

            There was only static when the Gate closed.

 

            “ _Well, crap.”_ He thought.   
  
            Thankfully Rush knew he wasn’t necessarily _screwed_ , especially since the air was deemed non-toxic here before anyone was sent to this planet, but it was still… unsettling. He looked around, and saw what appeared to be a river flowing with water.

 

            He quickly went to it and tested the fluid, and, low and behold, he was right! Thank goodness! At least this trip wouldn’t be for _nothing_ now that he knew there was drinkable water they could salvage for Destiny and her passengers. Even _water_ was a luxury sometimes, and any bit they could find was worth its weight in gold.

 

            Speaking of which… He couldn’t help but look down at himself once again, barely able to believe what the hell he was wearing.

 

            Some of the crewmembers had assisted in making his skin have a scaly appearance, similar to the descriptions in the database, and golden in color. To their credit, given what little supplies they had, it looked pretty convincing, and he found himself actually _impressed_ with the work. Not that he’d ever _tell_ them so, but still… His clothing was pretty average, with a utilitarian vest over top of a plain, cool cotton shirt, and some tan khaki capris.

 

            He gathered what water he could carry, and made a very small camp. He decided to make it at least a _little_ bit away from the Gate, just in case any locals that may or may not still exist were not aware of it… Lord only knew that if the wrong people discovered the Gate’s abilities, it could mean disaster for the entire universe… best not to risk anything.

 

            Night soon fell, making his surroundings go pitch dark except for the shadows his small campfire cast around him and his tent. Despite the fact Brody had said there’d be more crewmembers joining him ‘ASAP’, Rush knew better. There was a chance Brody could be correct, but there was also the chance he could be _very_ wrong. He also knew he should analyze his surroundings more come daybreak. Who knew? There could be some interesting things on this planet…

 

********

 

            Rush woke up bright and early the next morning, being rather surprised that he was actually able to _sleep_ , and sleep _well_ on this planet… He had noticed during the night that there was something almost calming about the surroundings, yet he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what it was. Well, whatever it was, he was grateful for it, that was for damn sure.

 

            He stretched out for a while, heaving a long sigh. Once he was dressed again, he knew it was time to get moving and explore, so out the tent he went, only to find… Well, he didn’t really quite know what they were. These little… _things_ looked suspiciously human other than the dark forest green-like tint of their scales, but something still seemed a bit off, and, yet again, he couldn’t distinguish what exactly it was. What a strange planet this was already turning out to be…  
  
            There were two child-like creatures standing in front of him, eyes wide as they looked from him, to his tent behind him, and back again, looking absolutely fascinated. Rush cocked his head to the side just a bit, wondering why he was apparently so interesting to look at. Before he could attempt to communicate with them; however, they both smiled widely, each taking one of his hands and getting him to follow them.

 

            Surprisingly, the two children didn’t take him all that far until they reached what appeared to be a small village. It was rather rural in appearance, looking like something one would see in India if they were on Earth. Their huts looked rather simple, being made of what Rush presumed to be a thatch material of some kind. Then, he saw more of these strange creatures. Rush’s mouth practically dropped open when he finally saw some of these creatures fully grown. They were _huge_.

 

            At least, they were huge to _him_ anyways. He always knew he wasn’t very tall to begin with, but the creatures he was seeing now practically towered over him. To be fair, quite a few of them were easily six feet tall if not more than that, and the only shorter ones appeared to be still in their youth. Clearly the info that Destiny had on file about them failed to mention that they seemed to be quite tall. Also, the database mentioned them having lots of different colors, but most of the ones he saw here seemed to be an almost auburn-like color, which was not listed in the database. How interesting…

 

            Other than their height, and obviously their ‘color’, there wasn’t a whole lot about them that appeared ‘abnormal’ as compared to a human from Earth… They wore what appeared to be peasant clothes, mainly rough-looking shirts and ‘shorts’ if one wished to call them as such, while some of the [he presumed] females wore skirts. Upon looking at the fully-grown creatures though, he finally figured out what seemed ‘off’ about them. They seemed to _sparkle_ in the sunlight. The brightness made it a touch difficult to see, but it seemed like the scales that were naturally on each one glimmered when they moved. He had seen this when the two children had approached them, but he had explained it away to himself as a ‘trick of the light’. Unfortunately for him, this was no ‘trick’, and he could very easily be screwed.

 

            The crew did ‘deck him out’ to make it appear as if he had scales like the natives of this planet, yes, but his scales didn’t really ‘sparkle’. Would they see through his ‘disguise’? The small amount of data written about them didn’t say anything about the species being hostile, but he could only hope he wasn’t about to be in serious danger. Against all odds, he decided to take a chance and try to communicate. He cleared his throat a bit nervously.

 

            “Umm… hello.” He stammered.

 

            One of the children that had guided him to the village approached one of the fully-grown creatures, speaking in a language he’d never heard before. Granted, Rush rather doubted they’d speak any kind of language ever spoken on Earth, but it was always still quite the surprise to hear yet another foreign language.

 

            The creature the child spoke to looked behind him towards one of the huts and seemed to call out for someone. Sure enough, a similar creature but with graying scales approached. A village elder perhaps? It spoke in a rather gravely voice, so Rush figured his guess could be pretty close.

 

            “Come with me.” It spoke.

 

            Rush’s eyebrows shot up, being shocked to hear the English language come from one of these creatures, even if it was only three words. Figuring he didn’t really have too much of a choice now, Rush slowly approached the aging creature and followed him.

 

            Soon enough, the two of them approached a very large flight of stairs. The elderly creature turned to Rush and bowed, moving a couple of steps behind him. Rush then turned around to thank the man, but he was gone. Instead, he faced what appeared to be armed guards carrying an elaborate chair of some sort. One of them seemed to be signaling that Rush sit in the chair, which Rush obviously complied with, not wanting to make them angry or anything. This was all getting stranger and stranger, but he still rolled with it anyways, growing progressively more interested in what this was all going to lead to.

 

            The armed guards literally carried Rush up the large flight of stairs until they reached two very large, almost intimidating front doors to what appeared to be a _castle_ as compared to the thatch huts he saw back at the small village. It was truly massive, incredibly dark in color and overall appearance, and yet, it seemed almost… _homey_ to him for some reason. How odd…

 

            The guards continued to carry him through the front doors and into what seemed like a very grand entryway until they put down the chair and backed away. Rush slowly stood up and stepped down onto the floor of the entryway, not really knowing what else to do.

 

            “….Parle vou Francais?” he heard a voice say.

 

            He looked around for a moment. It was clearly a feminine voice, but he couldn’t quite tell where it was coming from. The voice echoed along the walls, making it sound like it was in multiple places at once.

 

            “Non…” Rush replied curiously.

 

            Interestingly, Rush actually _did_ know a bit of French, but not _nearly_ enough to hold an extensive conversation with a fluent speaker of the language. He found it absolutely fascinating that whoever it was knew _French_ given they were Lord-only-knew distance away from Earth…

 

            “Sprechen sie Deutsch?” the feminine voice asked.

 

            The voice knew _German,_ too?! Good Lord! He _definitely_ didn’t know that language, so, of course, he answered with a resounding “No” once again.

 

            Not a minute after he had responded to the voice, he swore he saw a shadowy figure rapidly move behind him and quickly out of sight once again. Rush whipped around trying to catch a glimpse of whoever or _whatever_ was messing with him, but had no luck. His eyes darted from place to place, trying to distinguish what was going on.

 

            “I… I don’t know if you can understand me or not, but… please come out, I am not here to harm you in any way…” he said.

 

            He continued to look around, when suddenly, something, or, more appropriately, some _one_ appeared behind him. In Rush’s perspective, this ‘someone’ was, in fact, a woman, and a surprisingly short one at that. She was even shorter than _him!_ The thing that immediately caught his eye though was not the golden scales she possessed (although that was _definitely_ an eye-catching attribute), but her _eyes_ …. _Oh_ , her eyes were beautiful! He never thought of himself as much of a ‘romantic’, but good _Lord_ he could get lost in those pools of blue he gazed upon in that moment. Before he could say anything more; however, she beat him to it:

 

            “Oh, you speak _English_! Why didn’t you say so sooner?” she giggled.

 

            When Rush was able to take his eyes away from her marvelous blue ones, he noticed gorgeous tumbling brown curls which moved gracefully even when she laughed. She stood pretty close to him, so it was not _entirely_ visible, but he could swear that even the _clothing_ she wore glittered as she moved as well.

 

Upon taking a step back, he found he was actually _correct_ , seeing very beautiful, intricately made fabric covering her small form. It reminded him of something one would see in the Middle East back on Earth… India perhaps? She wore pants and a long ‘shirt’-like garment, which were both a very pale gold color that did, in fact, shine in the light surrounding them. Even more gorgeous though were the roses and rose petals embroidered into the fabric. Besides the scales on this creature, it was almost remarkable that they were ‘alien’ at all…

 

“Are you okay?” she asked, tilting her head sideways a little as she spoke.

 

Rush blinked, shaking his head a little. Clearly he thought he’d responded to her at some point, but apparently not. It was almost as if she’d hypnotized him on the spot, rendering him speechless.

 

“Oh, umm… yes, I’m… fine, thank you.” He said.

 

“Oh good!” she beamed, taking a step towards him again.

 

“My name in your language is _Belle_.” She exclaimed, extending a hand toward him to take.

 

He cocked his head curiously, giving her a firm (but not _too_ firm) handshake.

 

“Dr. Nicholas Rush; pleasure to meet you, Belle.” He all but whispered.

 

“ _Surely_ you can do better than _that_?” Belle giggled.

 

Before Rush could even ask what she was referring to; however, she damn near squeezed his hand to death, pumping it, along with his arm up and down in a firmer handshake he’d _ever_ been given in his life by either gender. Stronger than she looked, this one…

 

“Oh, I _like_ you! Have you met father yet?” she asked.

 

“I… No, I haven’t.” he responded.

 

“It’s been _so_ long since we’ve seen another one of our own inside these walls, Father will be so pleased!” she practically cheered.

 

            She asked him to follow her, still grasping his hand all the while.

 

            As their hands continued to touch, he couldn’t help but notice her scales glimmering again, just as the other creatures he’d encountered had, but since he was _touching_ them (and more importantly, paying _much_ more attention), he could swear he felt… No, that’s impossible. Scales couldn’t… _move_ , could they? He certainly wasn’t a biologist, but he knew that scales on a lizard creature shouldn’t move like that, let alone be so _soft_ … If he didn’t know any better, these ‘scales’ felt more like-

 

            “Father! We have a guest! Isn’t that delightful?” She exclaimed.

The man himself sat upon a beautiful throne of _wood_ of all things, but much like a lot of the other decorative elements he’d seen so far, it was also very intricately carved. Even from a distance he could tell that a master craftsman created the wooden throne, and slaved away for Lord-only-knew how long to make it as close to perfection as possible, and the effort showed.

 

Much like Belle’s, her father’s outfit was also very intricate and exquisitely made. He wore a very lavish outfit, but it was a very dark royal blue that contrasted quite nicely with her father’s equally golden scales. The thing that stuck out the most though was the _crown_ upon her father’s head. It was just as handsome as the rest of the man’s outfit, but Rush was starting to put two and two together, and he couldn’t help but feel like he was diving further and further into a hole he wouldn’t be able to dig himself out of very easily.

 

Belle’s father spoke some words, which seemed to be in the same language the villagers he encountered earlier spoke. That language was most likely the ‘common’ language for that species then… how fascinating.

 

The man cleared his throat, and then spoke once more.

 

“It is always a pleasure to have one of our kind within our walls!” he bellowed before rising from the throne and stepping towards them.

 

“I must say, though, you dress rather humbly for a nobleman!” he chuckled, looking over Rush’s outfit of choice.

 

“Father, he was among the villagers! Of _course_ he’s dressed this way! The poor citizens of _that_ village barely know how to act toward someone in royal robes. Please don’t insult him!” She reprimanded.

 

“T’was far from an _insult_ , my daughter, I am impressed that someone of our kind is making an effort to improve the lives of our villagers despite barely knowing them!” he said with a nod.

 

“Can he stay for dinner, father?” Belle begged, grasping Rush’s arm like a lifeline.

 

“Of _course_ he can! Please, make yourself at home, young man, and feel free to wash your… garments before supper. Our servants will assist you.” He assured him.

 

“I wouldn’t want to… impose.” Rush stammered.

 

“Nonsense! I _insist_!” he bellowed.

 

At that moment, Belle looked up at him with those big blue eyes, and he knew he was lost.

“I suppose I could stay for a while, thank you very-“

 

“Wonderful! We’ll set you up with a room immediately!” the man cried out, cutting Rush off.

 

Belle only giggled, following Rush as he was guided to a room in the expansive castle area by a couple of servants.

 

Goodness gracious, this had to be the best he was ever treated on any planet, and _especially_ better than how he was treated on Destiny by a long shot. He wouldn’t mind being primped and pampered for a few days, but Lord only knew how long he’d actually be able to stay there before Destiny moved on…

 

Once the servants showed him where everything was in the room, they bowed out, leaving him and Belle alone in the room. He thought it rather odd that her father didn’t really seem to mind that his daughter followed a strange man into his room. This must be either a very trusting king of sorts, or maybe he wasn’t aware? Did… did these people (or whatever they actually were) have customs like Earth did? They spoke English, but they also seemed to speak other languages besides their own rather fluently, so how many different cultures inspired theirs? He had _so_ many questions, and couldn’t wait to unravel the mysteries before him.

 

Suddenly, he heard his radio buzz. That’s right! He had accidentally left his backpack of supplies behind when the children had all but forcibly taken him to their village, but he had kept his radio on him just in case through the night when he slept. For a moment, he was grateful for it, but then a brief flash of panic coursed through his body when Belle turned towards him curiously at the little noise the radio emitted.

 

“Did you say something?” she asked him curiously.

 

“Errr-“

 

“Rush! Can you…. Rush!” the radio blared.

 

It was Eli! What luck!

 

Belle looked immediately to his front pocket where the little radio sat comfortably. Rush held his breath as she inched closer to him, extending her index finger towards his pocket, very softly poking at it. It would’ve been quite adorable if Rush weren’t _very_ aware of the fact she was most likely much stronger than he was if even just her _handshake_ was anything to go by.

 

The radio buzzed and beeped again when she touched it, making her practically jump five feet in the air, moving away from him in shock.

 

“W-what kind of _creature_ do you possess?!” she stammered.

 

Rush couldn’t help but chuckle a little at her [slightly adorable] concerned expression.

 

“This is nothing to be afraid of, don’t worry…” he crooned calmly.

 

He knew he was taking a _very_ big risk, but he decided Belle wasn’t going to hurt him, even if he brought out the radio.

 

“This is Rush, do you copy?” he spoke evenly.

 

Belle’s eyes widened as he did so, stepping steadily closer to him as the radio made it’s little noises.

 

“Copy! We found…… camp… you okay?” Eli asked.

 

“Yes, I’m fine, but your signal is weak.” Rush mumbled.

 

“Signal?” Belle asked.

 

“Weak signal… trying to find… later…” was all Rush heard before the signal clicked off.

 

He sighed, figuring it might be good to come clean now before he got even _deeper_ into this mess. Before he could confess; however, Belle beat him to the punch once again.

 

“Where do you come from exactly?” she inquired.

 

“I… am from a place _very_ far from here…” he mused.

 

“Well, _yes_ , that much is obvious, but do you live on our _planet_?” she questioned.

 

Rush closed his eyes for a moment and took a breath, then shook his head ‘no’ in defeat.

 

Instead of the disappointment he predicted; however, her eyes only grew bigger in shock and awe, with the smile on her face growing ever wider.

 

“I knew it!” she announced. “I am most thankful that Father’s vision is growing weaker at times like this!” she jested.

 

Rush could only gape, not really knowing how to react to all of this.

 

“What planet are you _really_ from?” she queried.

 

“I… I am originally from a planet called Earth.” He half murmured.

 

“Oh, please! You simply _must_ tell me about it! Our species learned English through other planets’ residents close by, not from your planet, and I’ve been _dying_ to know more!” she begged.

 

Rush smiled, quite pleased that she took this all in stride, and, not only that, but seemed to be as inquisitive as he was, thirsty for knowledge of all kinds. He turned to the bed in the room, casually sat on the edge of it, and patted the space beside him, inviting her to join him. She was all but wriggling in excitement, happily sitting next to him to listen.

 

Rush then proceeded to tell her the tale (granted, a _very_ condensed one) of why he left Earth, how he ended up on Destiny, and even divulged a bit about the crew members on the ship who hovered above her planet as they spoke.

 

“…This is called a ‘radio’, but some people call it a ‘walkie-talkie’.” He jested, letting her hold the object that once scared her.

 

“How delightful! It must be so exciting to be exploring so many places!” she gushed.

 

Belle then looked quite sad for a moment, extending her hand (if one could even call it a hand) to rest on top of his.  


“Surely you must miss your planet, though…” she observed.

 

He chuckled flatly at that.

 

“On the contrary, it’s not as if I’d have a whole lot to go back to, even if I could go back right now…” he lamented.

 

It was true. Beyond his research, all he’d really had to look forward to every day was Gloria, and she was… well… He tried not to think about it in great detail; it wouldn’t do to make poor Belle sad out of the blue.

 

“Well! Since you have given _me_ so much fascinating information, it is only fair to give you some in return!” she smiled, clearly trying to brighten their moods again.

 

Funny, Rush didn’t even know her all that well, and yet her brightness and bubbly demeanor was one thing he _immediately_ loved about her. He didn’t really attach himself to others very easily, but she was surprisingly easy to talk to, and clearly a very attentive listener.

 

He couldn’t help but be in awe; however, when she saw her approach a balcony attached to his room, opening two massive glass doors, which lead outside. She opened them both, letting in lots of light and a cool breeze, making her hair swish behind her beautifully. Rush did a double take; however, when in practically no time at all, Belle had undone the top she wore somehow, leaving her completely bare from the waist up.

 

Why she had suddenly decided that a wardrobe change was a good idea, Rush had no clue, but he slapped a hand over his eyes in embarrassment the moment he sensed she was going to turn towards him.

 

“What… what are you doing?” Rush heard her question.

 

“When humans from Earth undress, they do not always wish to be seen when they do so… It can be considered… _impolite_ to stare. I hope this does not offend you.” Rush explained.

 

Granted, ‘impolite’ was probably a bit of an understatement, but he didn’t wish to delve too far into that subject with her at the moment.

 

“My natural appearance… _offends_ you?” she muttered.

 

She actually sounded a bit hurt, and it damn near broke his heart.

 

“I… _no_ , Belle, I just…” he stammered.

 

He sighed.

 

“In truth, I find you quite lovely, this is simply habit.” He stated.

 

“Won’t you open your eyes then?” she pleaded.

 

He did just that, but he jumped with fright and damn near fell off the bed when he saw not the beautiful woman that had listened to his lengthy story, but a massive _bird_ in front of him!

 

“Where… where did you go?!” he asked, with his head darting around the room.

 

“Do you not see me?” he heard her say.

 

Wait… surely, she wasn’t…

 

Sure enough, he looked at the bird in front of him again, and upon looking at its face first that time, he saw her beautiful blue eyes looking back at him.

 

Well Destiny’s database had certainly gotten a _major_ detail about these life forms wrong, hadn’t it? There wasn’t a whole lot of information about them there, but the info the crew did manage to pull up were digital copies of a couple of worn journal pages with a very life-like sketch of one of these things on one of them, and some sparse info about them on the other. There was a bit of scrawl next to it with the words ‘lizard people’ with a question mark next to it as well. It was all they’d had to go on, so they decided that had to be good enough. Clearly whoever originally observed these creatures hadn’t gotten to know one personally like Rush had.

 

Rush also didn’t know _all_ that much about birds, but, from what he could tell, there was a beautiful Roc in front of him. A type of bird which was said to be extinct, if not a total myth back on Earth. So they were… half-Roc, then?

 

He nervously extended a hand toward her massive head. Once he placed his fingers on her head, she made an almost ‘chirp’-like noise, and he felt her raise her head up, leaning into his touch. He gently petted and even scratched her head a little, watching as her eyes closed in bliss, and the little chirp noise became as close to a _purr_ as a bird creature could probably get.

 

“That feels _very_ nice…” he heard her say.

 

On an interesting note, he had _heard_ her voice, but the bird’s massive beak didn’t move when she spoke.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry! I should have told you! We use a form of… I believe you would call it ‘telepathy’ to speak to one another when we’re like this.” Belle explained.

 

This species kept getting more and more fascinating, and Rush found it remarkable.

 

“I must say, you’re quite… _massive_ in this form.” Rush commented.

 

He winced, realizing a touch too late what he might’ve accidentally implied, but felt a wave of relief when Belle looked strangely _happy_ upon hearing his comment.

 

“I… thank you…” she breathed.

 

If Rush didn’t know any better, she actually sounded _flattered_ by what he said. Suddenly, as if she could read his mind, she ‘spoke’ again:

 

“If I’m not mistaken, a saying from your planet goes ‘Big things come in small packages’, yes? I rather like it, seeing that it’s _very_ true here…” she giggled.

 

She went on to explain that their species was a touch unique size wise… In fact, the taller they were in ‘human’ form, the shorter and smaller they were in their bird form, so, typically, the shorter they were in human form, the taller, bigger, stronger and faster they were in their bird form.

 

The whole time she ‘spoke’ to him, he continued to gently pet and caress her feathers, making her moan sensually a little on occasion. Thankfully her large, beautiful eyes were not on his crotch, and thank goodness none of Destiny’s crew members were around to see, essentially, Rush getting turned on by a _bird_. That day was getting progressively weirder by the minute, and he had no clue how much more weirdness he could take, even for _him_.

 

Suddenly, she stepped away from him, practically panting.

 

“Please, let me show you our lands before father expects you for supper!” she breathed.

 

If he didn’t know any better, she almost sounded… _turned on_. Frankly, it sounded _incredibly_ sexy, and having to take a second to remind himself he was basically talking to a bird at the moment was on the verge of _incredibly_ embarrassing. Nonetheless, he agreed, stepping forward to allow her to show him around.

 

She stepped behind him, somehow managing to slip her head between his legs and scoop him up onto her back.

 

“Hang on!” she cried out cheerfully.

 

He gripped tightly on where he imagined her shoulders would be, not wanting to accidentally grab anything… _awkward_ …

 

Rush couldn’t believe his eyes as he was suddenly soaring through the sky on the back of a mythical creature. Of all the things he thought could happen today, this was _definitely_ not one of them.

 

Belle pointed out all kinds of interesting landmarks, some of which her own people hadn’t even fully excavated yet. It turned out that this planet had a _very_ rich cultural history, and Belle had been trying to piece it all together for _years_ in an attempt to make it understandable for every being on this planet. She knew it was technically impossible to do _entirely_ by herself since there was just _that much_ to catalogue, but she hoped her work could at least pave the way for others to add to it, and eventually put the finishing touches on it in her place. Rush found her more fascinating by the minute, never mind she was part _Roc_ of all things.

 

The two of them talked and laughed about their cultures and things of that nature while up in the sky having a grand time. As much as the two of them wanted this little adventure to last forever, Belle did have to land eventually. They were both getting rather hungry anyways, and her father would be holding a grand feast for the three of them very soon, which Belle guaranteed Rush he’d _love_.

 

“I am unsure of _exactly_ what kinds of foods are ‘typically’ eaten on Earth, but I hope it’s at least relatively close…” she reassured him.

 

“If it makes you feel any better, damn near _anything_ is better than a lot of the kinds of foods we’ve had to eat upon Destiny.” He retorted.

 

She giggled at that, playfully shoving his arm with her wing as she did so. Once she had calmed down a bit, she cleared her throat, silently signaling Rush to get off her back.

 

Rush did as she requested, stepping back a bit. He could only imagine she was going to transform back into the human-like creature he remembered her to be, but exactly _how_ she was going to do that was what fascinated him.

 

He stood there watching her, but nothing was happening at first. In fact, she cocked her head with what he assumed was confusion.

 

“I thought you would… cover your eyes?” she asked.

 

Realization dawned on him. He had damn near forgotten that he’d initially looked away when she was transforming into _bird_ , but now that it was the reverse, was she embarrassed?

 

“If you would _like_ me to cover my eyes, I will, but if you don’t want me to, I won’t.” he remarked.

 

His response seemed to please her, making her smile widely. Well, smile widely for a _bird_ anyway…

 

She folded her wings against her body, took a steady-looking stance, closed her eyes and bowed her head. She then began to glow with a gorgeous, shimmering, golden light that enveloped her entire body for a moment before he could see the feathers of her wings shrinking and changing into her human-like arms, which were (thankfully for him) covering her chest, her wavy, brown hair returned, and her gorgeous blue eyes opened once again to gaze at him lovingly.

 

Even better, he finally figured out that the ‘scales’ on their skin was actually their _feathers_.

 

“How… how does this… _work_?” he asked her, gesturing to the very small feathers on her ‘skin’, grazing a couple with his fingertips.

 

He wasn’t sure if it was his imagination giving him a false hope of sorts, or if he’d been out in the sun too long, but he could swear she shivered when his fingertips touched some of her feathers the way they did. Rush certainly hoped that was a _good_ gesture…

 

“Well, I know that species with royal blood on our planet have magic, which is part of what makes us royalty other than our golden feathers. From what I can tell, our ancestors _could_ perform feats of magic such as healing magic, controlling elements of nature, and things like that, but the magic has dwindled down over generations of royals… The only thing that differs us from commoners is the color of our feathers now…” she said sadly.

 

“I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up a… _painful_ subject for you…” Rush fretted.

 

“No! Don’t be sorry! It’s simply a truth that I face, and others will face as well once I can tell our people their history.” She smiled.

 

She removed one hand from the front of her chest, bringing it up to his cheek, and cupping it softly.

 

“Please tell me… how do people of your planet show gratitude?” she asked.

 

He first thought it was a trick. How could she claim that she’d studied Earth culture and yet she wasn’t aware of ‘how people showed gratitude’? Then again, though, she looked very sincere when asking her question, and he didn’t want to chide her, or do anything to hurt her feelings, especially after she very graciously showed him a vast amount of the land around them. That all would’ve taken him days if not _weeks_ to explore on his own, even with some of the other crew members of Destiny to help him out.

 

            He knew that if _other_ men were asked her same question, they’d probably try to take advantage of her naivety to the fullest. Thankfully Rush wasn’t like other men, but he still found himself a bit stuck. It took him a second, but he finally thought of an answer he was morally okay with, taking a slow breath in before answering her.

 

            “On Earth… there are a _lot_ of different forms of gratitude… In my experience; however, people generally will just say ‘thank you’, give someone a hug, or, on occasion, depended on what the person means to you, they will give the other person a kiss.” He insisted.

 

            He could swear that in that moment, he heard her breath hitch, but he couldn’t possibly imagine her cheeks turning the lovely shade of pink that they did. She blinked a couple of times, seeming to move a bit closer to him while she did so. They then faced each other in silence, with the air growing thick around them as they breathed one another’s air and looked each other in the eyes.

 

            “…Thank you…” she breathed.

 

            He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could utter a word, she grabbed him by the hips and pulled him towards her, with their lips colliding messily in a surprisingly heated, passionate kiss.

 

            He gasped in surprise against her mouth, but it wasn’t long before he was wrapping his arms around her, returning her kiss in earnest. They were wrapped around each other pretty much as intertwined as two people could be with their clothes still on (for the most part). Belle ran her hands up his back until she reached his head, running her fingers through his hair, with her nails occasionally scratching his scalp in a way that made him shiver delightfully. Electricity ran between the two of them, making them not want to let go of each other for even a minute.

 

            Belle moaned into their kiss, barely coming up for air before she next to attacked his mouth again, clearly very eager for more. Rush certainly wasn’t complaining, loving the feeling of her bare back underneath his fingertips as he caressed her slender body and ran his fingers through her wavy locks as well.

 

            The two of them practically couldn’t stop, with Rush beginning to gently nudge Belle backward until they both reached the edge of the bed. He could feel Belle about to let herself fall backward when there was a knock at the door to Rush’s room, which spooked them both, and made them jump away from each other instantly.

 

            “His Highness is ready for supper in the dining room, and requests that you attend as soon as you are able!” a servant bellowed outside of the door.

 

            They heard the servant’s footsteps fade away finally after a moment, leaving the two of them in quite the awkward silence. Belle’s hair was very clearly mussed, with her face a charming shade of red, and her lips kiss-swollen. He was sure that he wasn’t in much better of a state, but it was completely worth it to see a beautiful woman like herself so disheveled because of him.

 

            The poor dears couldn’t seem to look each other in the eye out of embarrassment at the moment, until Belle finally cleared her throat awkwardly, stepping a bit further away from him.

 

            “Yes, well, I… ummm… Father is probably expecting me to arrive before you, if he isn’t wondering where I am _already_ , so I should probably dress for dinner, and I would suggest you do too if you want to continue staying in the castle…” she half mumbled.

 

            She moved toward the door, still not looking at him, mumbling a quick ‘bye’, and leaving the room.

 

            Well _this_ was an interesting development… He never really considered himself very ‘sexual’ by nature, but something about her brought out that very… _primal_ instinct in him, and he feared yet _loved_ it at the same time. He could only dare to hope she would want to take it a step further, but there was every possibility she was simply caught up in the moment, and wasn’t interested in him beyond that…

 

            Either way, he was _definitely_ hungry now. Granted, not _entirely_ for food anymore, but that was beside the point. He figured he should get dressed quickly, for he definitely didn’t want to disappoint the king, let alone his gorgeous, intelligent, witty and charming daughter…


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2, AKA "THE CHAPTER WITH THE HOTNESS" XD
> 
> JESUS.  
> MOTHER.  
> FUCKING.  
> TAP.  
> DANCING.  
> CHRIST.  
> ON.  
> A.  
> BICYCLE.  
> MY LIFE.  
> IS RIDICULOUS.  
> AND COMPLICATED.  
> I AM THE WORST ZOOKEEPER  
> OH MY GOD
> 
> THIS IS SO FRIGGIN LATE, EVEN BY THE 'DUE DATES' I WAS TRYING TO GIVE MYSELF, ARGH
> 
> ALSO HOLY BALLS THIS CHAPTER GOT /REALLY/ LONG, DAMN SON
> 
> To be fair, I ended up having... complications, shall we say, from surgery which I've been recovering from all this time, and I'm FINALLY able to legitimately function on my own and, more importantly, be awake and able-bodied during the day long enough to be able to write/edit stuff since I'm actually able to sleep more than like 2 hours at a time at night! WOOOOO- *facedesk*
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter, and that it was worth the wait!!   
> Will publish the rest ASAP for real!!!

Needless to say, dinner that evening was touch… awkward. On the bright side, the food served actually _was_ delicious, and Rush even made a point of complimenting it, feeling incredibly grateful for being able to eat something filling and tasty rather than the bland slop Destiny had on board. He wished Belle would be more vocal though… Of course her _father_ was very chatty, and seemed to be quite interested in virtually anything Rush had to say, but he had grown rather found of Belle’s alluring lilt.

 

            Poor Belle seemed to be awfully embarrassed for a vast majority of the meal, barely being able to look Rush in the eye without turning an adorable shade of pink. Granted, it was strangely flattering that he could cause a gorgeous woman like her to become so flustered, but he had enjoyed the conversations they held while in the sky, and was very much interested in continuing where they left off. Oh well… he’d have to approach her later when they could have some time alone to continue talking. Whatever he had to do to get to that point would be worth it; she was incredibly interesting and fun, and his thirst for knowledge was too strong.

 

**********

 

            A bit later after dinner, Rush entered a beautiful bathhouse that the king insisted he use to ‘refresh and rejuvenate’ himself. Rush wouldn’t have taken the kindly king as the type to enjoy ‘rejuvenation’, but either way, it was a _bath_. A _real_ bath that looked and smelled amazing, and he couldn’t wait to try it out. The actual tub itself was _humongous_ and looked like it could fit easily ten people, where all of which could lay down flat and not feel like they were packed in like sardines.

 

            While Rush was a touch nervous as to what he would do to reinstate his golden appearance, he was honestly too overjoyed at the concept of taking a real _bath_ to care all that much. After all, Belle had seemed very willing to help him keep his little ‘secret’, and let her father believe Rush was truly a golden part-Roc of a royal descent of some kind, and he was very grateful for it, since he’d certainly need her help after this.

 

            He got undressed behind a barrier, leaving his garments in a neat pile relatively close to the bath in case he needed to get out of there quickly, then very slowly stepped into the hot water until he was submerged up to his neck in the satisfying bath. He let out a satisfied groan of relief, for the water felt _so_ good he could practically cry. To the king’s credit, this bath really _was_ rejuvenating! Rush took to washing away the grime, makeup and God-only-knows what else off his aching body, grimacing as he watched it sully the pure looking, clean waters.

 

            Then, out of practically nowhere, while he was washing, Rush saw the water begin to glow white. He almost jumped out of the water, afraid it was about to _obliterate_ him or something, when not thirty seconds later, the water was completely clean again! His mouth fell open in shock. What kind of sorcery was this?!

 

            “I probably should’ve warned you about that, seeing that Father failed to inform you about the magical properties of the bathhouse… I’m terribly sorry about that…” Belle said.

 

            Rush froze. Did Belle follow him in here? He looked around, wondering where she could possibly be, when he finally spotted her… sort of.

 

            The barrier he had undressed behind was relatively see-through apparently, given that he could see a _very_ feminine silhouetted figure standing behind it. For a moment, he almost felt like he should be looking for hidden cameras that were surely filming this to make a porno or something, until he remembered this was _very_ clearly not Earth.

 

            “I…I hope you don’t mind me joining you… this bathhouse _is_ technically made to house more than one being, and I _did_ want to talk more, and- oh, I’m _rambling_ , I’m so sorry…” she bumbled.

 

            Rush couldn’t help but smile at this, finding her rambling rather endearing and _far_ too human given what she actually was. His smile immediately disappeared however when she actually stepped out from behind the barrier.

 

            Belle’s torso was covered by a very soft looking towel, thank goodness [for Rush and his dignity], but the towel was unable to conceal her gorgeous figure, especially her incredibly lengthy _legs_. Dear _Lord_ … For as petite as she was, it felt like her legs went on for _miles_ , and Rush found himself _incredibly_ turned on. He also wished he had a towel in front of him as she did, since closing his legs could probably only do so much. The, come to find out, golden _feathers_ on her skin shone even brighter than usual, with the light steam in the room making them glimmer with droplets of water. Her eyes sparkled like sapphires as she looked at him, and a lovely blush dusted her cheeks. He couldn’t find it in himself to look away for even a second as she slowly stepped toward him and the hot bath.

 

            “Are… are you alright?” she asked him.

 

            Rush realized only then that his mouth had literally dropped open, and that there was every possibility he was practically drooling just watching her move. He shook his head, trying to get a hold of himself (and not in _that_ way).

 

            Rush cleared his throat.

 

            “I… yes, sorry about that…” he mumbled, embarrassed.

 

For goodness sake, she _did_ say she wanted to continue to talk to him again, and he wanted that as well, so why not? They _were_ in a bathhouse, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t act civilized and have a decent conversation with one another, right?

           

            It was at that moment that Belle gently stepped into the water, hissing at the sudden heat reaching her feathers and skin, breathing heavily as she adjusted to the temperature. She slowly sank into the water until the water level was just below her shoulders, sighing happily. Frankly, her happy sigh sounded _much_ too sensual for Rush and dear Lord he was going to _die_.

 

            Thankfully the tension faded a little as they finally began to talk with one another again, simply enjoying each other’s company. The minutes felt like _hours_ as they talked and laughed with one another, similar to the moments they shared while in the sky. They grew physically closer and closer to each other as they spoke, not even realizing what was happening until Belle’s knee happened to lightly brush Rush’s thigh underneath the water.

 

            The water _was_ incredibly pure, but Rush thanked his lucky stars that the water wasn’t completely translucent. Apparently this trait of the, quite literally, magical bath water, was part of what differentiated it from normal drinking water. _God_ this planet was fascinating! Rush definitely wasn’t thinking about that now; however, given that his thoughts were occupied with the incredibly lovely woman sitting _remarkably_ close to him and gazing into his eyes again with those beautiful pools of azure.

 

            They sat there for a moment, simply gazing into each other’s eyes until Belle finally spoke again.

 

            “I… I _did_ wish to talk with you, but I also wanted to… _show my gratitude_ again… if you don’t mind…” she breathed.

 

            ‘If he didn’t _mind_ ’?! How preposterous! He had to be blind, stupid and utterly _rude_ to ‘mind’ having a beautiful, intelligent woman like herself lavishing her attention on him!

 

This time Rush took the initiative, lifting one of his hands to her face and gently cupping her cheek before closing the distance between them.

 

            Their eyes slipped closed as they very slowly and gently kissed once again, taking their time exploring each other’s mouths. As they did so, Belle naturally and swiftly moved herself into Rush’s lap, straddling his hardening cock. They both moaned at the sudden contact, desperately wanting more. It was quite obvious that they were trying incredibly hard to not take things too quickly like what had happened in Rush’s room, with the two of them practically quivering with anticipation.

 

            Rush tentatively placed his hands on her sides, causing her to squeak with surprise. He broke away, being concerned he had moved too fast for her, but was immediately relieved when she nodded frantically before closing the gap between them again. He felt her wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him towards her even further until they were flush against each other’s bodies like before, but now there were hardly any barriers left. He shivered with delight, knowing that this was _exactly_ what he had wanted, but didn’t dare voice for fear of making Belle uncomfortable. Thankfully for him, this seemed to be exactly what she wanted as well if her sensual noises of pleasure were anything to go by.

 

            He next to fell over when he felt her begin to grind against his greedy cock tantalizingly slowly, with the water surrounding them swirling and waving around as they went. He groaned with pleasure as he felt her nails score his back as she moved. It was very evident that she was losing herself as she moved against him, especially given that the towel she had wrapped around her inched downward practically without her noticing.

 

            She broke away from him slightly, tossing her head back with a moan as her hardened nipples brushed against Rush’s bare chest. It was an especially beautiful sight. Rush felt rather lucky that she seemed to be very easy to please, to where he could very well sit back and enjoy the incredibly erotic show if he so wished.

 

A selfish man would’ve possibly done exactly that, but Rush still wished to participate in bringing her pleasure, ducking his head down to where her neck met her shoulder, giving passionate kisses, licks and nibbles as she writhed on top of him. He moved his hands up and down her gorgeous body, occasionally moving downward enough to grab her ass, which she seemed to _love_.

 

Eventually, her breathing started to quicken, and her moans grew higher in pitch; Rush could tell she was getting close. Interestingly, words were falling from her lips, but seemingly in the native language of this planet, rather than English. The dialect was truly gorgeous when she spoke it, and the words she spoke sounded an _awful_ lot like English ‘swears’, which only made them all the better. She then froze for a moment with her mouth hanging open in a silent scream as her thighs squeezed his own and yet shook with pleasure all at the same time, and her hips moved uncontrollably as she came down from her blissful high.

 

“Are… are you alright?” Rush rasped.

 

Belle could only nod. Her eyes were half lidded, and she wore a rather goofy smile on her face as she pulled him back towards her in an inelegant kiss. It was a touch awkward given Belle’s practically boneless state, but there was no place he’d rather be at the moment, especially since witnessing all this only made his… _excitement_ more obvious.

 

She broke away from him momentarily, looking down at his incredibly erect cock with a hunger in her eyes, which made him want to moan with want. She lowered a hand to him, stroking him with two fingers from the base to the tip, making him groan at the sensation.

 

“This is… good?” she asked in a breathy, husky voice.

 

Rush nodded, not quite trusting himself to speak normal English anymore. It was growing progressively more obvious that she had never been with a man before now, if the way she played with and fondled his cock and balls was any indication. She touched him with an uncertain curiosity and almost _fondness_ he found rather charming, and would’ve told her so if it weren’t so damn erotic and distracting. The minutes she spent exploring his body felt like _hours_ of glorious, glorious torture, but it was growing more difficult for Rush to keep himself together as she progressed. Finally, as gently as he could manage, he grasped her wrist, bringing her hand up to his lips and placing a kiss on her fingertips.

 

“I... won’t be able to last long if you keep that up,” he chuckled.

 

“I thought the _point_ was to ‘keep that up’…?” Belle questioned.

 

It took every ounce of control Rush had left not to start howling with laughter at the (he thought?) unintentional innuendo she just made, given the genuine concern and curiosity written all over her face. He calmly and slowly moved one of his hands just above her mons, touching incredibly gently as not to scare her.

Belle froze, with her eyes growing wide and her mouth dropping open in a silent gasp. Rush moved his other hand to the small of her back in order to support her better just in case.

 

“May I?” he whispered.

 

Belle nodded frantically. The poor thing practically didn’t seem to know what to make of sexual pleasure, and, frankly, he wanted to make this as enjoyable for her as possible.

 

He moved his hand progressively lower, watching for any signs of discomfort or displeasure. Finding none, he finally slipped a single finger just past the edge of her folds, which made her moan with pleasure. It was a touch difficult to tell whether she was ‘wet’ or not from the outside given that they were, well, sitting in _water_ , but she was very clearly swollen from her previous orgasm, and Rush thanked his lucky stars that her ‘parts’ seemed to be identical to a human woman’s, so he’d actually know what to do.

 

“More?” he whispered.

 

“ _Yes_ …” she hissed.

 

_Oh_ , she sounded so gorgeous when being pleasured… Her voice was practically hypnotizing as it was, but this was a pleasurable symphony of sound for him to listen to.

 

He slipped a finger inside her, marveling at just how hot (and _ready_ ) she was for him. She cried out in pleasure, with her hips rocking involuntarily. It seemed her body knew _exactly_ what it wanted, while her mind was unsure. As she moved and cried out, Rush was fascinated to find that her feathers seemed to _shiver_ everywhere he touched her despite them being wet and practically plastered to her body. _God_ she was beautiful to watch…

 

Rush petted her channel, curled his finger, finger fucked her _incredibly_ gently, and all sorts of things, gauging what she liked in particular. He damn near fell over when he felt her grab his wrist and try to move his finger into her faster, like he was her own personal vibrator.

 

Much to her surprise and continued pleasure, he added another finger, beginning to thrust faster like she seemed to want. Her noises were magnified, and it was one of the sexiest things Rush had ever heard and seen. He continued to thrust over and over, trying to incorporate lightly brushing her swollen clit, and he could tell she was on cloud nine, practically refusing to come down.

 

She ended up surprising _him_ right back; however, when she grabbed his wrist again, but this time silently signaled him to stop. Obviously Rush obliged, wondering why she wanted to stop, until she took his cock in hand. If he wasn’t ‘paying attention’ before, he sure as hell was now. She stared at it with fascination for a moment before taking it upon herself to line them up while she continued to sit on his lap.

 

Rush had seen an edge of the bath that angled almost like a ramp behind them, which reminded him of an ocean shore, strangely enough. He figured this could make quite the surface for what she was very eagerly trying to achieve. Plus, if he were honest with himself, he figured that having water sloshing around them any more than it had been before could be a touch awkward to deal with…

 

“May I make a suggestion sweetheart?” he crooned.

 

Belle nodded, and the second she did, he lifted her off of him, and carried her bridal style toward the ramp. He laid her down carefully, about to coax her legs open, but soon found there was no need. She _very_ willingly opened her legs practically spread eagle for him. His eyebrows shot up at her wanton ways, but he was still pleasantly surprised (and obviously pleased) nonetheless. He caressed her legs lovingly before lifting them off the ground ever so slightly and bringing them towards her head. He knelt a bit to ask if she was ready, but the look in her eyes told him all he needed to know.

 

Despite wanting to pound into her like there was no tomorrow, he was afraid of potentially hurting her. There was still no guarantee that this _wasn’t_ her first time doing this, so he entered her slowly, letting her adjust to the feeling of him. She moaned deliciously as he did so, only heightening his urge to thrust.

 

            Belle paused for a moment, simply breathing in and out before she rolled her hips experimentally. Given the position she was in, she couldn’t move all that much, but Rush didn’t care; it only turned him on even more. He then gave in to his urge, sliding out of her then back in in a very solid, hard thrust, making Belle practically _scream_. Good Lord, if she was screaming for him _already_ , he couldn’t wait to find out what other delightful noises she would emit.

 

            He felt her grab his head rather forcefully and pull it back towards her once again, with their lips colliding gloriously messily. They practically didn’t let each other breathe as he thrust into her, with Belle’s moans of pleasure being swallowed by his mouth. She ran her fingers through his hair and clawed at his back desperately; as if she thought she could touch him everywhere at once if she only did it fast enough, and Rush would’ve thought it adorable if he weren’t so ridiculously turned on.

 

            Her moans started growing louder once again, and Rush could tell she was incredibly close. He leaned his head down to her neck and kissed her where her neck met her shoulder and marveled at the soft, bizarrely _human_ feeling of her, despite the fact she was technically covered in wet _feathers_. He also reached between them, gently rubbing her swollen clit to help her reach her peak. In no time at all, she was throwing her head back with a yell, practically screaming something in her language as her channel fluttered around his cock. This made him lose control, spilling himself within her while continuing to thrust with fervor.

 

            It took a minute or two, but they finally calmed down a bit, with Rush resting his head lightly on her chest as they simply breathed, taking in the scent of sex and sweat. Rush couldn’t help but notice that Belle _did_ perspire like a human, but, interestingly, she smelled of roses. Not only did Rush find himself wondering if birds of Earth perspired in some way, but he found himself almost jealous that her perspiration smelled _good_. What some Earth humans wouldn’t give to have _that_ kind of ability… At this rate, he’d _never_ run out of questions to ask her about her species and how all they functioned. _God_ they were fascinating!

 

            At that moment though, he knew his brain needed a rest, especially given that it felt like absolute mush. He looked at Belle and smiled when he saw her wearing an expression of absolute bliss; eyes closed, with her head laying back, her cheeks flushed, and a rather adorable smile on her face.

 

            He gently let himself slip out of her, and then maneuver himself beside her to gather her up in his arms. They were laying on a rather hard surface, and he figured they’d begin to get rather chilly soon, but he found himself rather unwilling to move at the moment, enjoying the soft feeling of her lithe body flush against him. When he wrapped an arm around her torso, he delighted in the feel of one of her arms covering his, and her fingers gently stroking his own as if she were petting a small kitten rather than a human hand. He knew that, logically, he couldn’t get used to having moments like this, but he decided to enjoy it while it lasted, closing his eyes as he leaned forward to press a kiss to her drying hair.

 

****

 

            Not too long later, a static-y noise suddenly startled them both.

 

            “Rush! Come in!” Greer whispered loudly.

 

            Rush gasped, and the two of them separated from each other. Rush scrambled for the radio among his clothes with a grumble. He found himself a touch annoyed at Greer for ruining he and Belle’s ‘moment’ together, but hearing from his crew was too important to ignore given the circumstances.

 

In the back of his mind, it had occurred to him that he himself had gotten _remarkably_ lucky, what with him being ‘painted’ the color of royalty on this planet, but what about the others who were supposed to be joining him? The three soldiers were all ‘painted’ in different colors, none of which were the auburn-like color which matched the locals nearby, and who knew what the colors they wore could actually mean?

 

            “Greer! Where are you all? Are you okay?” Rush asked worriedly, thanking his lucky stars that the signal seemed to be coming in loud and clear this time.

 

            “We found your camp earlier today and salvaged the water you found. We had it and much more brought through the Gate to Destiny. Nice work, Rush.” He complimented.

 

            When Greer said this, something else suddenly occurred to him. When Belle and Rush had gone on their flight, Belle actually had _not_ pointed out the Gate. In fact, she surprisingly hadn’t even remotely gone _near_ it despite the fact the village of half-Rocs should’ve been located near there. Did she not know what the Gate was? To be fair, even when Rush told her how he and the other crew members lived upon the ship Destiny, he failed to mention how _exactly_ he was transported to her planet. He couldn’t help but wonder what all she would think of the Gate if she hadn’t heard of it before.

           

            “…However; we may have a bit of a problem here.” Greer continued.

 

            Rush’s face paled. This was potentially what he was afraid of!

 

            “A-anything I can do to help?” Rush asked nervously.

 

            “You know French, right?” Greer asked.

 

            Rush could only stare at the radio confusedly for a moment. It was true that Belle knew French, German, English, the planets’ native language, and Lord only knew what else, but were creatures of royal descent the _only_ ones to know other foreign languages?

 

            Suddenly, Rush felt the incredibly soft and gentle touch of Belle’s hand on his shoulder. She was behind him, crouched down, and looking straight at him. Belle’s eyes were so wide, brimming with concern. Rush couldn’t help but give her a small smile, grateful for her silent support.

 

            “I do… granted, not nearly enough to be considered ‘fluent’, but yes. Why?” Rush asked.

 

            “…I’m afraid Lieutenant Scott has been captured by… _something_.” He said solemnly.

 

“We were searching for you when we were approached by one of the lizard creatures of this planet… It was clearly trying to communicate with Colonel Young and I, but we couldn’t understand the language it spoke until I recognized some French words when it was speaking. Before either of us knew it, it kidnapped Scott, and we haven’t seen him since then, but we _do_ think we know where it took him. We tracked it to a cave... _somewhere_ on this planet, but we’re still working on a rescue plan to get him back.”

 

“What color were its feathers?” Belle spoke, facing the radio.

 

For a moment, Rush hadn’t been sure if Belle was aware that Greer was referring to _her_ species and not _actually_ a species of lizard of some kind, but clearly she was very aware of what was going on. He was also rather thankful that Greer couldn’t actually hear her as of yet… He wasn’t sure how the crew was going to react when he finally told them of his adventures, let alone how he came to meet Belle. Granted, he’d most likely leave some details out, but still…

 

He told Belle to wait a moment, apologizing and promising to answer her as soon as he could. At that point, he went on to explain to Greer as quickly as he could primarily that the creatures on this planet were _birds_ not _lizards_ , and very briefly explaining the significance of feather color.

 

“Actually… I’m unsure about the color to be honest with you. I thought it was a dark green-like color, but sometimes when it moved, I could swear it looked like a dark _red_ color instead… Is that even possible?” Greer asked.

 

Rush looked to Belle, but was actually a bit scared when he noticed her eyes go wide and her ‘skin’ practically go pale. He didn’t even think _that_ alone was possible, so if there was a possibility that some of these creatures had feathers that could change colors… it could get quite interesting indeed.

 

“I’m… not sure. I’ll try and see if I can figure out the answer and get back to you. Also let me know what you come up with as far as a rescue plan, and I’ll try to contribute some ideas as well. Rush out.” He said, clicking off the radio.

 

Belle was silent for a moment before looking Rush in the eye and speaking to him once more.

 

“There was a tome I read once… about the history of our species. When magic was still with us, there was a family of royals that had a… I believe in your language it would be an ‘inbred’ little one born. It is unclear why, but their appearance became multicolored, almost like a chameleon, instead of a single color.” She said.

 

“Do you have chameleons on this planet?” Rush asked.

 

“No, but I learned about them once… I’d love to see one someday!” she beamed.

 

Rush thought back to the digitalized journal entries he and the crew saw on Destiny’s database. If whoever wrote them once saw the creatures that changed colors like chameleons, then no _wonder_ they thought they were lizard people!

 

“Anyway… More multi-colored ones were born over time, each one being cast out, and eventually ‘sent away’ once they were old enough to fend for themselves. Some of them were killed, but, to my knowledge, enough of them survived that they created their own tribe over time… Virtually _anyone_ could be considered an enemy in their eyes, but particularly someone who shares the same coloring of whichever tribe cast them out. I can’t say I blame them, and I had hoped to one day meet one to try and make peace with them so we could accept them into our culture again if they still existed... I suppose _that_ question has been answered now…” Belle mused.

 

“Oh my God… If Scott was captured by one of those things… they could kill him.” Rush practically whispered, his face going pale.

 

The twosome looked at each other again. Clearly the two of them would be going on a rescue mission very soon, but they could only hope they’d still have someone to rescue at all…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUN  
> :awesomeface:


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last time, Belle and Rush figured out from Greer that they get to go on a rescue mission!  
> ...SO OFF THEY GO!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...HOLY. HELL.
> 
> If anybody still remembers this fic actually exists, thank you SO much for your patience!!  
> Just when I thought my life had gained some stability back, it was like LOLNOPE HAVE FUN WITH THAT *facepalm*
> 
> Originally, I actually had the rest of this fic written out, but ended up deleting damn near ALL of it cause I wasn't satisfied with how it turned out and it seemed much weaker than the first two chapters of this that I'd posted, so I was like YEAH, NO, THAT'S NOT HAPPENING, SCREW THAT, and I think I ended up doing more world-building within this fic than I've done for practically any fic I've written in my LIFE so far XD
> 
> As usual, if there's any super obvious mistakes I managed to miss, FEEL FREE TO POINT THEM OUT! I tend to edit my fics entirely myself cause I'm weird like that lol
> 
> Enjoy, and next chapter will be up WAY sooner, I PROMISE!! OTL

           It had taken them a bit to get ready, but Belle and Rush knew they had to move quickly, moving as fast as their bodies could take them in their haste to get to Greer… wherever he was. Thankfully, Rush was able to get Greer back on the radio again to get at _some_ kind of direction as to where Greer was, so that was quite helpful. They dressed and such in silence, somehow knowing that there was every chance in the world they could end up having to say goodbye to one another after this little adventure, with neither of them really wanting to admit that out loud.

            “Can you take us there, Belle?” Rush asked her.

            Belle nodded, standing on her tiptoes to give him a short but sweet peck on the lips, before she took a couple steps back to transform once again. Rush didn’t think he’d ever get over how fascinating this species was, but especially how incredible he thought Belle was individually.

            “Are you ready?” Belle asked him once she was transformed.

            Rush gently petted her soft Roc head a little. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose.” He responded.

            He crawled onto her back, then the two of them took to the sky once again.

            Rush had to admit it; he’d obviously miss Belle _very_ much once he had to leave this planet, but flying with her, in a way, was almost more intimate and special than sex, and something he’d potentially miss the most. They obviously couldn’t always face each other whilst in flight, but unlike their coupling, they communicated through telepathy up here, where their thoughts were open to scrutiny, love, and everything in between. He tended to be a bit of a ‘loner’ while zooming around galaxies on Destiny, so this was an incredible sensation. On top of that, this was something he figured he’d _only_ want to experience with Belle by his side (or, in this case, _underneath him_ ), which only made this exhilarating flight all the more bittersweet. The two of them didn’t talk a whole lot on this journey, save for trying to figure out where exactly Greer was, but Rush still felt more at ease with Belle than almost anyone else he’d ever met, and it was beautiful.

            It took them a bit, but Rush _finally_ found where Greer stood far below them (frankly, he was _amazed_ he could see Greer from as high in the air as they were), and tried to point this area out to Belle.

            “That man down there is Greer, Belle! Can you land there?” he asked her.

            “I… Where is he?” she responded, sounding utterly confused.

            “Wait, can you not see him?” Rush asked.

            Belle shook her head sadly.

            “I don’t suppose those ‘ _glasses’_ you wear give you some sort of special visionary powers, do they?” she asked him.

            He had to chuckle at this; Rush adored the child-like wonder he could hear in her voice.

            “Powers? Goodness no… Granted, I _can_ see things better _with_ them than I could without them, but I certainly can’t see invisible things or anything like that…” he explained.

            Belle began to ponder quietly. “Can you direct me toward where you want me to land more specifically?” she asked him.

            Rush agreed, carefully directing her to an area close enough to Greer that he was accessible, but far enough that Greer wouldn’t be able to see Belle right away. Rush had neglected to tell Greer that Belle was _also_ half _-_ Roc, like the creature that took Lieutenant Scott was. Rush figured that if he could just talk to Greer first, and maybe settle his fear a little, Belle would be safe around him. Rush had no doubt that Belle could hold her own against Greer, but, as much as he would never admit it to _anyone_ else for fear of getting his ass kicked, he was more afraid of how Greer would fare against Belle and her half-Roc form. After all, for all Greer knew right now, the entire half-Roc species on this planet was hostile.

            He guided her landing until she was safely hidden just a couple yards away from where Greer stood fully alert and looking in their general direction, no doubt aware of the rustling noises he and Belle were probably making. He silently gestured for Belle to wait where she stood.  
  
            When Rush stepped out of the brush, Greer almost visibly _jumped_ , (an incredibly rare sight, with Rush barely holding in a chuckle) but relaxed damn near instantly upon realizing it was actually Rush and not, well, _something else_ , stepping closer to Rush with relief flooding his features.

            “ _Christ_ , you scared me for a second, Rush…” Greer huffed.

            “Whom, or _what_ , did you _think_ was going to come out of the fauna, Greer?” Rush spoke.

            “I…I don’t know _what_ , but I _do_ know I want to get Scott back and get the hell off this planet! I radioed Colonel Young my location, so he should be on his way back from scouting ahead now, but now that you’re here, we should really head inside and get a head start in finding Scott…” he practically growled.

            Well Greer certainly wasn’t in a good mood… Granted, understandably so, but Rush could only hope Greer would deal with upcoming events with _some_ level of grace.

            “Greer, I’ve brought someone along who may be able to help us out…” Rush said calmly.

            Rush looked to the nearby trees where Belle lay in waiting and nodded. Greer very clearly looked confused and opened his mouth assumingly to ask what Rush was talking about, but it stayed open, slack-jawed, when Belle came out of hiding slowly in her beautiful Roc form.

            Greer immediately withdrew a gun from his pocket, taking aim at Belle, but before Rush could even tell Greer to not shoot, Belle calmly and fearlessly approached Greer. He froze where he stood, with the weapon pointed at her now slightly shaking in the air as he attempted to hold it steady, but was clearly starting to fail. Belle didn’t move or speak once she approached him, simply staring at him with a neutral expression on her feathered face. Rush watched the interaction in awe, noticing that Greer had found her eyes, and practically couldn’t look away.

            Never in his life did Rush think he’d actually see _Greer_ of all people lower his weapon in the face of a potential threat, and yet, here they stood, with Greer very slowly lowering his gun, and putting it back in his pocket, seemingly still entranced by her gaze.

            Not a moment later, Belle nodded at Greer with a happy expression on her face… or, at least, what Rush could only assume was ‘happy’, given he was trying to read the emotions of a _bird_ …

            “Greer, this is-“

            “Belle. I know, she just… told me that.” Greer spoke, still clearly in awe.

            Greer turned to Rush, silently gesturing to him in a way Rush believed was asking ‘how Belle just did that’, but before Rush could respond, he noticed Belle nudge Greer’s hand with her feathered head, making an almost cooing noise as she did so.

            Once she regained Greer’s attention, she took a step away from him, and bowed her head, beginning to glow not long afterwards. Greer only looked more confused by this, but Rush’s eyes widened, knowing _exactly_ what was about to happen… Rush ran in front of Belle, blocking her from Greer’s view as she transformed back into her human form.

            “Rush, what the _hell_ is going on here, and how did you manage to persuade one of those… whatever they are, to help us?” he whispered while trying to see over Rush’s shoulder.

            “Frankly, Greer, I don’t think you’d believe me if I told you… regardless, I’ll explain later, but you _have_ to trust me right now, and _not. Look._ ” He practically growled at Greer.

            Despite Rush’s best efforts, Greer actually did manage to peek over Rush’s shoulder, immediately blushing scarlet the moment he did so. Rush would’ve laughed at his expression had he not felt incredibly protective over Belle’s modesty at the moment, whether she felt the same way about her own or not.

            Once Belle fully regained her human form, she looked in front of her only to find Rush with his back to her and wearing his backpack for her. How thoughtful of him! Despite Rush explaining the concept of ‘modesty’ according to the people of Earth, it was still a very foreign concept to her. At its core, didn’t humans all know what they each looked like, regardless of gender? Was this somehow not always taught to them? Regardless, she thanked Rush for his kindness, reaching into the bag to retrieve an item of clothing she brought with her to interact with the rogue Roc, slipping it on swiftly and gracefully before she stepped out from behind Rush to acknowledge Greer’s presence once again before spying the area where the cave was which the trio were meant to go into. She gasped, looking upon it in awe before rushing over to a rock with ancient text written upon it, trying to decipher what it said.

 

            Now both Greer _and_ Rush were confused. Did… did she not see the quite _massive_ cave near them? Granted, her determination to learn new things was charming to watch, especially when she was in her element, seemingly trying to translate writing neither Rush nor Greer could read, but her vision seemed to be quite… _odd_ , didn’t it?

 

            She ran back over to the two of them once she appeared satisfied with her findings with the biggest, most triumphant smile on her face. Her emotions were practically infectious, causing Rush to smile back, and even _Greer_ could be seen with traces of a smile on his face despite his best efforts to appear serious.

 

            “Nicholas! There was once an ancient half-Roc civilization here, which I haven’t come across in _any_ book in my library! This is wonderful news! I’m sure we can track down your… loo- _ten_ -ant Scott if we follow what the text says!” she cried gleefully.

 

            Greer appeared to be holding back a chuckle while Belle was apparently still trying to learn how to pronounce ‘lieutenant’, and Rush couldn’t help but be impressed. Belle’s infectious, child-like joy even broke _Greer’s_ serious ‘streak’, so he could only imagine how much the rest of the crew would adore her like he did… If she got to meet the rest of the crew, that is…

 

            “Belle, I hate to interrupt, but we need to go into this cave over here… Greer saw Scott get whisked away into it, and-“ Rush began.

 

            He stopped talking however at Belle’s look of confusion.

 

            “I… yes, I’m aware of where we’re meant to go, but don’t you need assistance in finding the cave? The writing on that rock over there says that it’s near here, but I’m not entirely sure where yet… if you give me a moment, I’m sure I could find it!” she said with determination.

 

            Greer glanced at Rush, then stepped backward toward the cave’s entrance, and pointed to its mouth.

 

            “It’s _this_ cave. Right _here_.” Greer said, gesturing at the cave, eyes wide.

 

            Rush glared at him. How _dare_ he treat her like a child?

 

            “Umm… your name was _Greer_ , yes? Where did you go?” Belle asked, looking around. “I can certainly hear you, but it would help greatly if I could see you as well!” she offered hopefully.

 

            Rush couldn’t help but look between the two of them, his mind racing at what could be happening here, until he came upon a theory…

 

            He caught Belle’s attention, asking her to watch him carefully before taking a couple of steps backward away from her.

 

            “Can you still see me?” he asked her.

 

            Belle nodded silently as she watched him move.

 

            He took a couple more steps backward, then looked at her again.

 

            “Can you still see me?” he asked once more.

 

            The result was still the same; she nodded once more.

 

            Rush carefully took a couple more steps backward, and then, as he thought, a look of shock overtook Belle’s face, with her eyes growing wide.

 

            “You… you disappeared!” she exclaimed. “How did you do that?” she questioned.

 

            Now _this_ was curious… Experimentally, he extended his arm towards her, holding his hand out in invitation.

 

            Sure enough, Belle jumped a little, staring at his hand. She very clearly tried not to show it, but nonetheless, Rush could see her quivering in fear ever so slightly.

 

            “I take it you can see my hand. It’s okay; I’m here, Belle.” He spoke calmly.

 

            A look of determination took over as she tentatively reached out and lightly grasped his hand. Rush tightened his hand around hers and gently pulled her towards him until she suddenly collided with his chest with a small noise of protest.

 

            After a moment of pure silence, she looked up into Rush’s eyes. They stood there for a moment, simply gazing at one another as their closeness warmed each other up pleasantly. There was no doubt she was happy she could actually see him again, but their closeness, beyond the physical, left her in awe every time she experienced it again.

 

            “That was… a barrier of some kind?” she whispered to him.

 

            “I believe so, yes.” He whispered back.

 

            They separated after a moment, with Rush awkwardly clearing his throat, while Belle looked away with a shy smile on her face as her cheeks tinged the lightest shade of pink.

 

            She looked back up initially to look at Rush once more, but instead happened to finally see the cave behind him. It certainly wasn’t the largest she’d _ever_ come across, but it was still quite massive with various markings lining the mouth of the cave that she did, in fact, vaguely recognize as a cloaking hex she had once thought was lost in time’s past… how intriguing!

 

            “This is _amazing!_ I’ve only _read_ about places like this…” she spoke in awe.

 

            She moved past Rush, and Greer who had begun to approach them, and stopped at the very front of the cave, looking up at all the various markings.

 

            “I could never find a whole lot of information on them, but back when the multi-colored Rocs were being banished from their indigenous tribes, the ones whom still possessed magical knowledge and ability created sanctuaries like this one to escape creatures who may wish to hunt them down and… destroy them.” She said, raising a hand up to touch part of the cave wall.

 

            “…Would someone like to inform me what all is going on here?” Greer prodded impatiently.

 

            “Oh! I’m sorry! I’ll explain it as we go in… shall we?” Belle smiled, gesturing for the two men to follow her into the dark cave.

 

            Thankfully Greer and Rush had flashlights on them to light the way, much to the fascination of Belle, wondering how they could hold light in their hands that wouldn’t burn them as fire would. To Rush and Greer’s amusement, this almost spooky atmosphere seemed to be just right for Belle to recount the somber tale of the multi-colored half-Rocs to Greer.

 

            As much as they wanted to rescue Lieutenant Scott as soon as they could, they walked somewhat slowly, looking at the floor and walls surrounding them in order to watch out for any potential traps that could lay in their wake. This speed, much to Belle’s delight, was just slow enough for her to make out ancient writing on the walls on occasion, which, yet again, Rush and Greer couldn’t make heads or tales of. Rush couldn’t help but be fascinated at this language that could’ve very well _pre-dated_ the Ancient language, which Belle seemed to know at least bits and pieces of because of her unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

 

            It felt like they had been walking into the cave for _hours_ when suddenly Belle gasped. Rush and Greer looked to her with nervousness, but thankfully Belle didn’t appear to be in any danger. She had found a massive wall of text and seemed to be concentrating with all her might in an attempt to translate what it said. Once her head had begun to tilt downward towards the end of the text, Rush stepped towards her, about to tell her that they needed to keep going when, even in the darkness that surrounded them, he could see hints of tears in her eyes, and shining tear tracks, telling him she’d been silently crying as she read the text.

 

            “If… if I’m translating what I know of this writing correctly…” she began shakily. “These poor creatures... what our _history books_ told of them… is _wrong_ …” she half sobbed.

_Magic was the main foundation of their beautiful culture and civilization. Half-Rocs of all shapes, sizes and colors were able to live happy lives, helping each other not just survive, but_ thrive _, with everyone coming together to defend their lands against invaders, gather enough food and supplies to ensure no one went hungry, build incredible technology, and everything they could possibly need. However; this beautiful Eden they had created was not to last. Over time, the magic they all held started dwindling away. With every new generation born, a little bit of magic would disappear along with it. Magic was the key to half-Rocs being able to change into their human-like forms and continue to live in the civilization they created. Without it, they feared they would be doomed to transform back into pure Rocs, and the advanced life they’d worked so hard to create would fall into ruin. The citizens all came together in an attempt to solve this dilemma, wondering what they could do to prevent this from happening. They tried everything from attempting to contain the magic, to everyone all trying to use less on a daily basis, but nothing seemed to work._

_Then, one day, an unexpected miracle occurred. A half-Roc was born much sooner than expected, and was so much smaller than the average newborn that he could be held with part of a single arm. The parents were eternally grateful their child had the will to live, but, in addition, low and behold, he bore not one solitary color, but many different colored feathers. Surely, they thought, this child was a wondrous gift from the Gods. So gloriously beautiful was he that, even if only for a moment, the other half-Rocs all but forgot their troubles and joined together to ensure this little one would live. It is said that during that time, the magic of the people grew stronger, and everyone rejoiced. The little one was called Rachier-da, which meant ‘One of the Rainbow’ or ‘The Multi-Colored One’._

_Rachier-da grew up healthy and strong, with the amount of magic he possessed being greater than any half-Roc before him. He became a cherished icon; some would say even closer to a God, and so beloved by all that they wished to give him a title that none had ever truly received before: a King. Rachier-da was remarkably flattered and touched by the love that was shown him, but he turned down their offer. The elders still insisted he bear the title, but Rachier-da gave the same answer every time he was asked: He insisted that he was born among the people, had lived among them, and wished to someday pass away among them as well. If he took a title so grand, he felt it would separate him from the feeling of togetherness their culture possessed that he held so dear. There were citizens who would insist he took the title even to the day of his death. He slipped away peacefully of old age, having lived far longer than any known half-Roc had ever lived before. The citizens felt it was only fitting that he be blessed with a longer life after going through so much in order to live his life to begin with. The very moment he passed, they felt a powerful burst of magic enter their being. The people mourned his loss, yes, but they also celebrated his life, remembering how joyful they were on the day of his birth, and the surge of magic they felt that day, too. They believed that even if a miracle like him never occurred again, it was okay. Rachier-da would forever be remembered as the one who brought his people together and made them stronger. It was this unity that brought them prosperity, and it was that same unity that would ensure the survival of their kind._

_Three days passed, and another miracle happened, or so the people thought. A strange race of creatures came to their planet, claimed to be their Gods, and insisted the people bow to them in respect. The half-Rocs mocked them, for how could these beings claim to be their Gods when they have never seen the soil of their planet, let alone lived among their people? The newcomers simply shrugged off their doubt, saying instead that they would prove their worth: In 27 days, they insisted, the half-Rocs would witness the birth of yet another multi-colored half-Roc; a newborn the likes of Rachier-da would return to them. This was also the day these beings would return once more, insisting the people bow down. The citizens were understandably skeptical, but decided to wait and see if the prediction came to pass._

_Sure as the tide, as this ancient race of beings claimed, another half-Roc was born earlier than expected with the same beautiful multi-colored feathers as Rachier-da. The people were flabbergasted, and couldn’t believe their eyes; yet another miracle was brought to them! The ancient beings approached them all yet again, insisting the people bow before them. Even with this wondrous miracle; however, many were still skeptical, all except for some: the golden half-Rocs. Before the likes of Rachier-da, golden half-Rocs were the most rare to be born. Even with multiple generations of their people having come and gone, the golden half-Rocs were still the smallest in numbers by far. Much like Rachier-da, they were also born before their predicted times, and it was a struggle for them to survive. If these powerful beings could create life similar to that of the once great Rachier-da, surely they could help what few golden half-Rocs in existence continue to live, and ensure their beautiful color continue to be passed to new generations._

_As they thought, the ancient beings praised the golden half-Rocs for their loyalty, ensuring their species would not only survive, but become stronger than all the golden half-Rocs that came before them, as well as the other colored Rocs. The ancient beings proclaimed that from that day forward, the golden half-Rocs would be their rulers, and if anyone crossed them, the consequences would be dire: The ancient beings had the power to give life, but also to take it away._

_As promised, the golden half-Rocs became their rulers on high, with the citizens serving them first and foremost, allowing them to grow more powerful with each generation rather than weaker. Multi-colored half-Rocs were born more often in conjunction to the golden half-Roc’s rise to power, and soon enough, the name Rachier-da became the name of their race rather than an individual being. All seemed well, with magic flowing through the people for years upon years, until one day, they realized the magic was growing weaker yet again. The citizens approached the golden half-Rocs asking for guidance. They were all-powerful, and were the only ones who could communicate with the ancient beings; surely they held the solution to their problem? But alas, the golden Rocs were just as lost, doing everything they could to fix the problem, but still failing. Suddenly, the reigning king stood up from his throne with his eyes turning a ghostly white as he began to speak in a familiar voice they had not heard in years, yet all of them knew._

_The ancient beings spoke using the King as their vessel, saying that their powers were growing weaker, thus the people needed to prove their devotion to them in order to make them stronger again, and there was only one way they could do so. The Rachier-das, they said, still had greater power than the golden half-Rocs, or any colors of their species. The only way to keep magic alive was to sacrifice them one by one. The ancient beings had the power of creation, yes, but the creation of even one Rachier-da took much more power than it took to create any other color of half-Roc. By sacrificing one, another one could then be born, and the balance of magic could be sustained forever. The citizens were outraged, claiming that taking their lives was wrong. Even if it drained them of their magic and made them into beasts once more, they would be all the more beastly with the blood of innocents on their hands. The ancients were outraged, proclaiming that the people were fools to throw away all that they had done for the sake of lives that could easily be replicated, and they would not let them fall into ruin over their stupidity. However reluctantly, the golden half-Rocs agreed with this double-edged wisdom, and continued to side with the ancient beings. The first sacrifice was needed, and for every day a Rachier-da was not brought to them upon request, two hundred other half-Rocs would die in their place. For this, the ancients claimed, was an equal trade, and any and all who defied their wishes would be the first ones to die by the almighty hands of the ancient beings._

_For two weeks the half-Rocs struggled, with two hundred of their citizens dying every day. Young or old, it mattered not. These days were filled with sadness and pain, and, as more and more citizens were killed, the more hope was destroyed. The only ones who were spared of this horrible fate were the Rachier-das and the golden half-Rocs. Finally, the citizens gave in. They could do nothing but watch as the life of a Rachier-da was mercilessly taken like it was nothing. The people’s magic was rejuvenated, but their spirits were not. Every twenty-seven days after a Rachier-da’s life was taken, another one would be born. Time would pass, and then the same sacrifice was demanded. Yet again, every time the ancient ones would demand a sacrifice, there would be those who stood against them, and those people, along with others, would die. Years passed by with this same pattern occurring until one generation had had enough. Their numbers were dwindling swiftly, and they knew their species was doomed to die out completely if too many people were sacrificed in order to save the Rachier-das. A small group of traitorous golden half-Rocs along with a mass of others came together in order to gather what food and supplies were necessary to give to five Rachier-das to send them away behind the backs of the ancient ones. They figured that this way, even if the rest of their species died out because of the ancient beings’ cruelty, the ones who were the most powerful of all could someday rise up against the ancient ones, take back the independence they once had, and start the life of their species anew, but even better than before. This knowledge would go with the saved Rachier-das and die with the ‘traitors’._

_Over time, their species continued to dwindle, with a few Rachier-das being saved at a time between sacrifices until there were no Rachier-das left within their civilization. By the time this happened, the citizens had little to no recollection of the Rachier-das’ existence, with this knowledge fading into obscurity except in text, and even a vast majority of them were destroyed, stolen, or lost to time. Eventually, the amount of magic the half-Rocs possessed was so small that the ancient ones simply lost interest. The citizens were shocked to learn that the ancient ones had deceived them all. They were never truly Gods in the first place, simply beings who knew the future of the indigenous civilization. After all, the species was doomed to perish, so why not have a bit of fun, and get a front row seat to what they knew was to come? In fact, the Rachier-das were the_ real _Gods of their lands, but now that they were all gone, the civilization was doomed to become more and more primal until they all became beasts once more. All the ancient ones had really done was used the Rachier-das’ magic to keep the citizens alive, which the Rachier-das could’ve easily done for themselves had they been given a choice. The ancient ones then left, leaving the poor half-Rocs virtually powerless and hopeless._

_Incomplete tales of the Rachier-das were told not in celebration, but in mourning of what could have been, had the citizens not been so foolish, or, at their worst, told in hatred of the Rachier-das, with some believing that they could’ve taken action to save their people, but chose not to. The golden half-Rocs were still considered royalty, but because the rest of their species didn’t know any better, not out of respect and loyalty. Thus, unbeknownst to the rest of the civilization, the Rachier-das survived, then later began to thrive in hiding in hopes that someday the people they had once loved would welcome them back into their civilization to fight for them and defeat the ancient ones, but no one ever came…_

 

            Belle suddenly grabbed Rush’s shirt and pulled him towards her, burying her face in his chest as she mourned the many lives that were lost way back when, not because of ‘stupidity’, but because of a horrible race of beings putting themselves on a pedestal and almost completely destroying a race of people purely for their own sickening form of entertainment. Rush embraced her, letting her vent her anger and process new emotions she never thought she would feel, until she finally calmed down enough to keep moving.

 

            While Belle lead the two men onwards, Greer briefly pulled Rush aside.

 

            “Seriously Rush, what’s going on between you two? First that… _strange_ episode you two had outside this cave, and then _that_ just happened. You weren’t stupid enough to get more ‘involved’ with this planet than need be, have you?” he asked.

 

            “Come off it, Greer. Belle might’ve very well saved my life the other day, and she’s helping us find Scott, too. She’s an intelligent woman, whom-“

 

            “Bird.” Greer deadpanned.

 

            “Excuse me?” Rush growled.

 

            “That _thing_ is a _bird_ , Rush. It’s a race of _aliens_ we have no business interfering with. We’re retrieving Lieutenant Scott, gathering the rest of the supplies, going back through the Gate, and that’s _it_. Do I make myself clear?” he spat.

 

            “You don’t get to order me around like you do with your soldiers, _Sergeant_.” Rush hissed.

 

            Before they could quarrel anymore; however, Belle froze, backing up to a wall of a cave and not moving.

 

            “…Belle?” Rush whispered curiously.

 

            Belle shushed him, and with a surprising amount of force, pushed him against the same wall with one arm, while tentatively staring down into the cave. Greer gave Rush a look, only for Rush to shrug, being just as clueless as he was.

 

            Suddenly, a mighty _howl_ the likes of which Rush and Greer never heard before echoed near them. It almost sounded like the stereotypical cry of a werewolf, and yet, how could that be if the creatures that inhabited this planet were all part _bird_? Then, another cry was heard a bit farther away from them, but very similar to the first.

 

            Belle turned to Rush and Greer once more.

 

            “Your _Lieutenant_ is near… and they have… _Young_? Who is that?” she asked.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yet another DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN-type chapter ending XD
> 
> ...Also in case you're wondering, "Rachier- da" is pronounced "Rah-sheer-dah"


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, like, OF COURSE i was writing this to be the last chapter, then this slightly suspenseful little 'break' happened unintentionally in the story, so I decided to post this as a chapter on its own and THEN the actual 100% for real /last/ chapter of this fic will happen after this. GOOD LORD.  
> Muse has been a HUGE bitch to this fic for whatever reason, (as evidenced by thinking of shit for practically everything ELSE in existence except for, you know, the fic I actually NEED to friggin get done wtf) but thank the Lord this fandom (and Worry of course lol) is incredibly patient and understanding af :D  
> Past two weeks have been a bit of a nightmare, but I'm hoping the END end of this fic will come soon!!!
> 
> Enjoy! :3

           Rush and Greer’s faces paled. Not only did a race of creatures they so far deemed as an enemy have Lieutenant Scott, but they captured Colonel Young, too. What could these creatures possibly want from them? Revenge? The two men could only hope that was not the case as Belle bravely lead them towards the terrifying noises they had heard.

 

            In no time at all, they finally began to see light ahead of them. As they grew closer and closer, the light flickered and danced in a way only fire could do, and, sure enough, they approached a massive cavern with _way_ more half-Rocs than they were expecting to find within.

 

            Belle’s mouth was agape as she witnessed easily twenty half-Rocs (which she now knew were actually called Rachier-das) all standing relatively close together all facing where, sure enough, Lieutenant Scott and Colonel Young tied to posts and gagged to keep them silent. Thankfully, neither of the two men looked like they were hurt, but Belle knew she _had_ to do something about this. She looked to Rush and Greer once more.

 

            “I’d like to apologize, and advise you cover your ears, for this…” she told them.

 

            They had just enough time to cover their ears before Belle let out a _very_ inhuman cry that seemed to echo around the cavern, and certainly got the attention of the Rachier-das. Rush wondered how she actually managed to make such a noise in her human-like form, but, even more so, couldn’t help but be rather impressed with the ability of her lungs and vocal cords…Or, you know, whatever these half-Roc creatures had.

 

            Suddenly, a Rachier-da appeared right in front of the trio almost out of nowhere before the others could approach them. Rush and Greer damn near jumped out of their skin, and yet Belle firmly held her ground as she looked up at the Rachier-da who happened to be easily a foot taller than her. It spoke in the dialect Rush now knew to be the half-Roc ‘common’ language.

 

            “How did you find us?!” it demanded.

 

            Belle didn’t even flinch at this; in fact, she curtsied in respect before speaking.

 

            “I enlisted the help of these two men to find comrades of mine. I insist you release them immediately; they mean you no harm, and neither do we.” She spoke evenly, gesturing to Rush and Greer.

 

            “Nonsense! These… _creatures_ are Ancient beings! No other half-Rocs are able to see our caves. The Ancients have come back to destroy us, and they’ve tricked a golden Roc to serve them once again!” it cried.

 

            _Now_ Belle looked genuinely offended. Rush could only imagine what these two were possibly talking about, but it clearly wasn’t good…

 

            “How _dare_ you! I seek you out to make peace, and you simply _assume_ I’ve been brain-washed because I have feathers of gold?!” she spoke, pointing at the Rachier-da as she spoke.

 

            Suddenly, the voice of another Rachier-da spoke.   
  
  
            “ _Ruke_!” it said.

 

            The Rachier-da called ‘Ruke’ looked to the other one.

 

            “You forget your place! Whether she is truly under the influence of Ancient beings or not, you are still speaking to _royalty_! Step _away_ , soldier.” He growled at him.

 

            Ruke quickly bowed to the other Rachier-da, leaving Belle facing one even taller than the last.

 

            “Please, your Majesty, forgive my comrade. We have not had visitors of our kind in quite some time, let alone ones of royal blood… He is in training to be our new Commander in Chief, and _clearly_ has not learned to mind his tongue.” He spoke, bowing in her presence.

 

            “He is forgiven, of course! I am _Baliyu Ishira Fris_ , daughter of _Maurici Don Fris_.” She said, curtseying in return.

 

            “I am _Gaisin Teru,_ and it’s a pleasure making your acquaintance, Your Majesty _._ ” He practically cooed, gently placing a kiss upon her hand.

 

***

            Rush watched this exchange, finding himself internally twitching a bit at the sight of this half-Roc kissing Belle’s hand, especially since he could detect a bit of a _gasp_ come from Belle herself. He shook his head. He had no right to be _jealous_ of this, given that she was, in fact, royalty. She was probably accustomed to people treating her in this manner after all, right? Regardless, Rush had noticed the one seemingly called ‘Ruke’ assemble the other half-Rocs they had seen earlier into a formation. So he was… what, some kind of military leader for this species? How very intriguing… Either way, the others were now seemingly distracted, leaving Scott and Young unattended. He leaned a bit towards Greer.

 

            “We should work on getting Scott and Young free while Belle has them all distracted… have you got a plan?” he asked him.

 

            Greer nodded.

 

            “I’ve been watching the movements of these… _creatures_ , and I think I know a way to get by them without being seen. Follow my lead, and we should get to them in no time…” he whispered back.

 

            The tall half-Roc was distracted enough by its (his?) conversation with Belle that Rush and Greer were able to step away from the two of them, moving as fast as they could towards their captured comrades. Rush could only hope that Belle could keep him distracted for enough time, especially given they had no real ‘plan’ to speak of before coming in here, and had been caught [somewhat] by surprise by the presence of the half-Rocs. Given how clever she was, Rush assumed she did, in fact, have a plan of some sort, but he knew that they couldn’t wait for her to somehow enact whatever she had concocted while the time the Gate remained open ticked away…

 

***

 

            In her mind, Belle knew this Rachier-da was not the most intelligent of the bunch; however, he did seem to know enough to make him a valuable asset when trying to reason with the tribe of outcasts. While Belle was talking with him, she couldn’t help but notice the rather odd way he looked at her… well, ‘odd’ to _her_ anyways. It reminded her just a little bit of how Rush looked at her sometimes, especially when they’d made love back at her father’s castle, but Gaisin’s gaze made her feel a touch uncomfortable, while Rush’s gaze made her body heat up pleasantly, and only drew her to him further. Either way, it was clearly best not to upset Gaisin, or any of the Rachier-das she could encounter for that matter. Thankfully, Gaisin appeared to be reasonable after she talked with him further. The only further question was how diplomatic this gentleman could be…

 

            “…Gaisin, please, may I have the chance to prove the innocence of these _men_?” she asked him.

 

            “You may speak to our village elder, Your Highness; he wished to decide the fate of our prisoners. I wish you luck in trying to change his mind.” He spoke. “I shall take you to him.” He offered her his arm.

 

            She could only hope the leader was as reasonable as Gaisin seemed to be.

 

            She gave her thanks, and let him lead her inside a large structure and into what appeared to be a council room, whose windows looked upon the area they had previously been standing in. It was almost like a great castle towering above the land it ruled over.

 

            The elder Rachier-da barely seemed to be ‘elderly’ in appearance, but the gravely voice he spoke in told her as much.

 

            “Greetings, child…” he spoke.   
  
            He rose from the grand chair he sat in and bowed to Belle, seemingly the best he could for his age (however old he actually was), bless his heart, with his feathers reflecting rainbow-like colors, just as the tablet said. He was about as tall as Rush was, with a slight hunch to his shoulders, most likely from age. His hair was graying at the roots, but it was still quite lovely, locks of hair waving down to just above his shoulders. Some were braided, she noticed, with feathers intertwined within them. Could this be some sort of cultural symbol she wasn’t aware of? Even more perplexing yet, she couldn’t help but notice that his eyes were startlingly similar to her own…

 

            Interestingly, much like Maurici’s throne, this one was humble; made of simple fine wood rather than stone or a precious metal, but even _more_ humble that that of the golden half-Roc throne. If she didn’t know any better, it was a chair that any half-Roc would sit on, not just one of a higher power. Belle couldn’t help but think back to the story; no, _history_ , the wall of the cave weaved, and in that moment, something ‘clicked’.  


            “Your Excellency.” She greeted, curtseying in return.

 

            He asked why she came here, and Belle explained her plight.

 

            “…I’m _not_ an Ancient being in disguise, and I would appreciate it if you released my friends!” she spoke.

 

            “You have great courage; that much I am certain of, child.” He replied. “Please, if you may, come closer. My vision is not quite what it used to be I’m afraid…” he said a bit solemnly.

 

            Belle wasn’t entirely sure she trusted the Rachier-da yet, but she wasn’t about to back away now, not when she was potentially close to earning Rush’s companions’ freedom.

 

            She stepped closer to him, remaining calm.

 

            Once she did; however, the Rachier-da’s eyes grew wide, and he inhaled sharply.

 

            “You… Tell me, what did you say your name was again?” he breathed.

 

            “I… am _Baliyu Ishira Fris_ , your Eminence.” She spoke.

 

            “ _Fris_ … You… No one told you what you _really_ are?” the elder asked.

 

            Belle stood there, confused, not sure how she should respond.

 

            “Do you know how few half-Rocs have eyes like yours? And how many _Rachier-das_ _do_?” he asked her.

 

            “But… my feathers are _gold_ … yours have multiple colors, do they not?” she inquired.

 

            He waved for her to come yet closer until she was less than two feet away from him, utterly perplexed as to what was occurring.

 

            Suddenly, the elder softly touched two fingers of his feathered hand to her forehead, and she felt an incredibly powerful burst of magic course through every fiber of her being. Her eyes slammed shut, unable to bear the heightened vision the powerful magic brought with it. She tried desperately to embrace the incredible magic, but it quickly overwhelmed her. It left her virtually immobile and powerless; even simply listening to the elder speak was a bit of a challenge in this state.

 

            “Ah, I see now…” the elder practically murmured. “ _So_ much unbridled potential… no one was able to show you the way you needed, so you sought your _own_ way… How incredibly brave and resourceful you must be, Your Highness…”

 

            Belle felt his fingers move barely a fraction of an inch, releasing yet another powerful burst of magic, but then it felt as if her entire body changed from the inside out. She felt more… _open_. Instead of the magic overwhelming her, it flowed through her much more naturally, making her feel virtually weightless and almost freer than her ability to fly as a Roc. This felt incredible, but _nothing_ could surpass the gift of flight.

 

            “Yes, that’s right! What a truly remarkable one you are…” he praised.

 

            He removed his fingers slowly, seemingly letting her adjust. She could tell when his presence was gone, but her body still thrummed pleasantly almost like an aftershock of such an amazing display of power. Her eyes fluttered open, only to see her meeting his gaze at eye level now. He was smiling and nodding, his eyes crinkling at the corners with mirth.

 

            She looked at her arms and hands. They… they didn’t look any different as far as she could tell… But then she looked down to her feet and noticed a shadow just below her. She was _floating_ in midair. The distance was not great, but it was enough that she could see the difference.

 

            “You see, Your Highness, _Fris_ was one of many names traditionally given to a Rachier-da. However, over time, yet another species of our kind was formed. Ones much like your mother, _Collisi Ishira Fris_. In the past, they were born quite weak, but over even just three generations, they grew stronger than any of us believed possible. You, my dear, are a Golden Rachier-da.”

 

            It was at this moment Belle looked down at herself once again. She happened to move her arm in just the right way, and low and behold, the way it glimmered in the light was not as it had before. She saw rainbow colors dance within her golden feathers, rather than the golden shimmer she had come to know. Her eyes widened. How was this accomplished? Was it the burst of magic? How had her father not known about this? Or… did he know and not tell her?

 

            “Now, about your… _friends_ …” he began.

           

            All kinds of questions raced through her head, but before she could voice even one, she heard yelling coming from the grounds below. The elder looked up suddenly at one of the windows just as she did, wondering what the commotion was about.

 

            Belle’s feet touched the ground once more, running to a window to peer down. She clasped a hand to her mouth at the sight: Rush and Greer were trying to fight off a literal army of Rachier-das while trying to free Scott and Young. Granted, a  _small_ army, but an army nonetheless.

 

            Belle looked to the elder with sadness, tears threatening to break free.

 

            “These creatures are very clearly not from our planet, but if you speak well of them Your Highness, I trust you wholeheartedly. Your mother and those before her would’ve spoken for their freedom as well. Go to them now; they may all go free. Once they do, we shall return to the outside world. If kind beings such as yourself are ruling over the citizens, I am certain we will find peace.” He said calmly.

 

            She nodded and bowed in thanks, opened a window then transformed into her half-Roc self. She gasped at the speed in which she was able to transform as well. A newfound power perhaps? Regardless, she had to get to Rush and the others fast before they got seriously hurt…


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> IT'S THE FIIIIIINAAAAAAAAAL CHAAAAAAPTEEEEEERRRRR  
> da na na naaaaa da na na na naaaaaaa XD

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good. GOD. am I the worst gift giver or what? XD
> 
> ...I can 100% promise I'm not even REMOTELY this terrible with getting shit done on a normal basis; this year's just been INSANE from start to finish ._.
> 
> One dumb thing lead to another dumb thing, and shit just kept getting more and more ridiculous in my life until BAM, here I am uploading this on the last day of 2017 on slow hotel internet!
> 
> Thankfully the extra time put into this chapter was worth it since this is automatically WAY better than the original draft was BY /FAR/, and lord knows @worryinglyinnocent is so completely worth the time and effort, too <3 <3 
> 
> No editor as per usual, so please feel free to point out errors of any kind!
> 
> Enjoy lovelies, and have a very happy new year!! See y'all in 2018!

            Rush and Greer were cornered.

 

            “ _That_ was your plan?!” Rush yelled at Greer.

 

            Greer seemed like he was trying to respond, but the only sounds he was emitting were grunts and frustrated mumbles as he tried to fight off the small army of half Rocs alongside Rush. Thankfully, they _had_ moved just fast enough to at least help start getting Lieutenant Scott and Young free from their bonds. While Greer and Rush fought off the army, the two soldiers squirmed ever harder, doing their best to get themselves freed while the army was now distracted. Their original plan hadn’t worked out, but at least they were getting somewhere…

 

            Suddenly, Belle appeared with a flourish in her half Roc form, landing as close to the army as she could get, all while seeming to screech at them in a way that got their attention enough to focus on her and not Rush and Destiny’s soldiers.

 

            Rush watched in amazement as she transformed back into her half human appearance quicker than he’d ever (sort of) seen her transform. Was there no limit to what she could do? He could only hope Belle was in a better position to reason with the half-rocs than they were…

 

*****

 

            Belle finally understood what she was meant to do. These poor Rachier-das were filled with so much hatred for others of their kind that they had forgotten their purpose and what an amazing gift they all possessed, whether they realized it or not. They were _needed_ to keep every single half Roc on their planet thriving, not just any individual color, and she would make damn sure that history wouldn’t repeat itself.

 

            “Listen to me!” she began. “I now understand your tribe’s pain! I know there is nothing I can do to erase the horrible deeds that have been done in the past, but, if you let me, I can at least _try_ to make amends for our mistakes…” she cried out.

 

            The Rachier-das looked at her with curiosity for a moment until one spoke up.

            “How do we know that what you say is the truth? How do we know you are not trying to coax us out of hiding to enslave us again?” he asked.

 

            Some of the other Rachier-das made various noises of agreement as they stared Belle right in the eye, wanting the truth. Belle could only summon all the bravery she could muster and continue to look them in the eyes as she spoke. She was positive that virtually the only thing keeping her from crumbling underneath their gazes was seeing Rush out of the corner of her eye, a smile forming at a corner of his mouth, silently encouraging her onward.

 

            “You have not seen our world from my eyes, and the eyes of my people in so long… it took _me_ far too long to really see how much they are suffering. The fault solely lies with me for being so caught up with piecing together our nation’s past that I could barely see the present and how much my people truly needed me and my father’s help.” She spoke.

 

            She paused, taking a slow breath in. Tears would do no good in that moment, even if they were genuine, and purely for the innocent half-Rocs she felt she’d let down.

 

            “I am the daughter of _Maurici Don Fris_ , the supposed ‘ruler’ of these great lands. I have learned so much in my years preparing to inherit the throne, but I now realize that I can’t rule our continent alone… I need the help of _all_ of you! You _alone_ created the true union between the beings within our entire civilization in the past! You _amplified_ our magical abilities rather than simply channeling it and letting it eventually fade away! You were cast out, practically left to die, and yet you not only survived, but _thrived_ and came back stronger than any one of us!” she spoke.

            A smile emerged on her face as she spoke, and even some of the Rachier-das could be seen beginning to smile, or as close to a smile as a half-bird creature could manage.

 

            “I cannot speak for our ancestors, but I _can_ speak for our species in the present. As the future queen, I can assure your safety and that you will be treated as equals. It is the _least_ I can do to quell your fears!” she announced. “We shall create a new city; one from the ground up that will return to our roots… A city that will not praise one being over another for the color of their feathers, but for what that being stands for in this great city. As individuals; the talents and abilities we bring forward to help one another! Help me rebuild our nation!” she cried.

           

            Some of them made happy-sounding squawking noises, while some raised their ‘fists’ into the air with joy.

 

            Suddenly, some of the Rachier-das in front of her bowed their heads before her.

 

            “Your Majesty…” they spoke.

 

            All Belle could do was watch in awe as they kneeled before her one by one, paying respects to the glorious future she had spoken of.

 

            “But… I no longer wish to solely hold power over the citizens… there is no need to bow down.” She spoke with curiosity.

 

            One brave Rachier-da spoke up.

 

            “Never fear, we do not bow toward a ‘ruler’, we bow to _kin_ whom we hold respect for and wish to help her create great prosperity for us all, and the new generation of half-Rocs we have yet to meet.” He said, approaching her and placing a ‘hand’ on her ‘shoulder’ as he did so.

 

            The other Rachier-das nodded, murmuring in agreement, and it took every ounce of control she had to not break down into tears of joy. She was truly bringing her kind together, and _oh_ what a beautiful world they would create!

 

******

            Rush watched her speak to the half-Rocs with admiration. What a strong individual Belle was, to be an enemy one moment, to being _kin_ the next. What a fabulous ruler she would be. Wait… that’s right… a _ruler_. She was destined to be a _queen_. Granted, Belle wanted to create a nation seemingly without kings and queens, but _surely_ she would still hold a position of higher power of some kind, wouldn’t she? Virtually _all_ types of nations had some kind of power structure, even if it wasn’t as straight forward as having a royal family. She had to stay here to help her people flourish, but what about-

 

            Suddenly, a subtle beeping noise interrupted Rush’s train of thought. Before he could scowl at being interrupted; however, he noticed the blood draining from Lieutenant Scott’s face.

 

            “We’re… running out of time…” he practically whispered.

 

            Thankfully, Belle speaking had been the _perfect_ diversion for Greer to get Scott and Young freed from their ropes, so they were able to move again. As much as a portion of Rush’s mind was right there with them, gearing up to escape the great cave, a part of him was…torn.

 

            The scientist in him practically _screamed_ , knowing that Destiny would and could take him to _many_ other planets to explore, but how many times would he able to witness the complete rebirth of an entire _nation_ and species within it should he choose to…stay? He could continue to be with Belle… he’d probably even be _respected_ wherever he chose to lay down his roots, using his scientific mind to help this planet thrive even further… but what about Earth? There was the chance he’d never see it again, let alone anyone he knew there. Not that he cared too deeply about the people of Earth, but it was still his home…

  
            As he watched Belle communicate with the Rachier-das around them, for the first time in years, his heart _ached_. He _knew_ what he had to do…

 

            They had, at _most_ , an hour before the Gate was to close. As much as he would love to at least be able to say goodbye, he knew deep down that it was best for him to board Destiny once more and continue helping the crew survive day by day.

 

            The others started hustling around taking what they could carry to use on the ship while Scott booted up a little device that would help find the Gate once again. Rush sighed, starting to collect useable things as well when he heard a screech behind him. It was Belle in her full Roc form flying toward him at breakneck speed

            “Rush!” Belle yelled before transforming back into her half-Roc form and practically crash landing into his arms. “You _scared_ me! I turn around and suddenly you and your friends were _gone_! Don’t leave without telling me, silly!” she said, burying her face in the collar of his shirt.

 

            “About that…” Rush began.

 

            He inwardly groaned, feeling incredibly guilty as Belle looked up at him as he began to speak. In general, he deemed himself capable of dealing with women, or whatever the female species of hers was called for that matter, but there were some moments where that sense of confidence flew right out the window and was replaced with him feeling like a bumbling idiot… Belle staring up at him with her big, beautiful round eyes was definitely one of those moments.

 

            “Do you remember the device called ‘The Gate’ that I told you a bit about?” he asked her.

 

            “Yes…” she responded, with her head tilting in curiosity.

 

            “Well, Lieutenant Scott determined that we have about sixty minutes until The Gate closes, which means I have to decide whether it’s right to stay here, or continue being with Destiny’s crew… Belle, you’re destined for _so_ much more than I am… you’re beautiful, strong, brave, and everything your kind could ask for when deciding a leader… They need _you_ , and Destiny’s crew needs _me_ to help them survive, whether they want to admit it or not.” He said solemnly.

 

            He could see tears welling up in Belle’s eyes.

 

            “Don’t do that sweetheart, we’ll see each other again…” Rush cooed softly.

 

            He held her face in his hands and brought her lips to his. Once he felt Belle melt a little into his kiss, he figured that the passion and… _love_ he held for her came through loud and clear. They _would_ see each other again someday… right?

 

            When they broke apart, time practically stood still as they gazed at each other. _God_ how he’d miss her… He was about to speak when suddenly Belle beat him to the punch, raising two fingers to his lips to stop him from speaking.

 

            “Then there’s no time to lose, is there?” she asked softly.

 

            She leaned up as high as she could on her tip toes and kissed him on the forehead before stepping away from him, transforming back into her Roc form and flying away, quick as a whip, leaving Rush speechless.

           

            Before he could think about what happened too hard, Greer came up behind him, tutting at him all the while.

 

            “Soooooo, are you gonna tell me what’s up with you two or what?” he asked.

 

            “ _‘What’_.” Rush growled. “Even if I _did_ want to tell you, we don’t have time for that now; we need to keep moving…”

 

            “Man, are you _ever_ any fun?” Greer sighed, rolling his eyes as he stepped away from Rush.

 

           He supposed maybe that goodbye was best… short and sweet. After all, at least he _did_ get to see Belle one last time like he wanted, and that’s what mattered. He smiled sadly to himself, mentally wishing her all the best, and praying to whatever deity would listen that she’d succeed at every endeavor, no matter how great.

 

*****

  
            _5 minutes until The Gate closed_ …

 

            Rush and the group were finally ready to go, standing in front of the Gate. They were helping push the larger supplies and things they found through the portal while Eli, Lieutenant Johanssen, and other members of Destiny’s crew were helping out on the other side as quickly as they could.

 

           “Is that everything?” Eli radioed in.

 

           “We’re all set over here… Boarding Destiny now; be ready to assist us if needed.” Greer answered.

 

            “Roger that!” Eli said.

 

            The crewmembers began stepping through the portal one after the other, with Rush slowly following behind. By the time it was his turn to step through, Eli had blared a two-minute warning through the radio. Rush took one last look back at the beautiful planet, sighing to himself.

 

            “Goodbye Belle…” he whispered.

 

            He took a deep breath as he stepped into the Gate’s swirling colors, seeing the bleak, familiar walls along with the familiar people he’d come to know during his time aboard Destiny.

 

           “Nice job, Rush!” Lieutenant Johanssen nodded, clapping a hand on Rush’s back.

 

           Rush smiled the best he could while facing one of his few friends, still feeling awfully bitter sweet about the whole endeavor.

 

           “Okay guys, this is it… ten second warning!” Eli yelled.

 

 _“Well, that's it then, isn’t it?”_ he thought sadly.

 

           “Ten!… Nine!…”

 

            Rush turned away from the Gate, stepping towards the main hallway.

 

            “Eight!… Seven!…”

 

            He might as well get some work done to take his mind off things… surely there was _something_ that needed his expertise right now…

 

           “Six!... Five!...”

 

            Given how long he’d been away from Destiny this time, Rush was willing to bet there would be glitches to fix or something of that nature that even Eli couldn’t work through very easily… he always _did_ like a good ‘puzzle’ to solve, so that would do nicely…

 

            “Four!... Thr- _What the hell?!_ ”

 

            Rush turned around to cuss Eli out, but was greeted by a blur of shimmering gold before getting the wind knocked out of him as his back hit the ground.

 

            He groaned, wondering what the hell just happened, and whose arse he had to kick. Rush slowly tried to open his eyes, and in his blurred vision he saw…

 

            At that given moment, no other description could fit what he was seeing better than ‘ _angel_ ’. A beautiful shade of gold enveloped him as a womanly figure hovered above him. Two triangular shapes, which looked like wings, were above the figure as well. Had he just been shot and killed? Were angels coming to take him to heaven now?

 

            He blinked in attempt to see better. No… it wasn’t an angel from _heaven_ like he thought, but it was as close to an angel as Rush ever believed he was worthy of receiving: it was Belle. Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears as tucked a lock of her hair behind her ‘ear’ and her gorgeous wings tucked themselves behind her back and out of sight.

 

            “Rush…” she whispered.

 

            Now that he was completely conscious, he was _much_ more aware of her body on top of his, with one of her delicate hands cradling the back of his head while the other moved locks of his hair out of his face.

 

            “You… your nation… they-“ he started.

 

            “I know.” She said. “I was originally going to see Father and tell him of the Rachier-das’ arrival into our lands, but when I noticed you were gone, I just _had_ to find you… _Oh_ , but when we kissed at that moment, that’s when I knew I couldn’t bear to be without you.” She gushed.

 

            “But your _clan_!” he cried out. “You could never see them again!” he said in a panic.

 

            Despite the rather ominous warning, the incredible half-Roc _smiled_.

 

            “I’m aware… however, my kind are in _very_ capable hands… You see, I went back home as fast as I could to say goodbye to Father, but also to give the Rachier-das the research I put together about our nation’s history so they could fill in the gaps, correct what was… _wrong_ , and eventually start a _new_ book that would tell of the coming age of half-Rocs. I am no longer fit to ‘rule’ over a nation like mine… I don’t want to be a ‘hero’ either; at least not in the way the Rachier-das were claiming me to be, anyways… I want to see far beyond the borders of the lands I once lived in, and even far beyond the stars that were once above me… and I want to do that with _you_ , Rush…” she chirped.

 

            Rush moved one of his hands to her side, silently signaling her to let him sit up just a little, which she gladly assisted with until he was propping his torso up with his forearms as he looked at her.

 

           “ _Well, that’s it then, isn’t it?_ ” He thought to himself smiling.

 

           He gave her a challenging look with a smile at the corner of his lips.

 

           “Are you ready for what might happen?” he whispered to her.

 

            Belle nodded excitedly.

 

           “Then _Baliyu Ishira Fris_ , welcome aboard Destiny.” He hummed.

 

           A delicious chill went down her spine at hearing Rush say her full traditional name in his accented tongue. Rush couldn’t help but chuckle as Belle practically knocked him over anew in the throws of a passionate kiss, much to the delight of the crew around them who whistled, whooped and hollered at the lovely pair.

 

          After all, with Belle now accompanying him, how bad could his journey across the universe really be?

 

            THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Despite the fact a good chunk of this year kinda went to wayside writing wise, I fully intend to fix that in 2018!  
> I have at least a rough writing schedule in mind for myself for this year seeing as I desperately want to finish the stories I started on here so I can post new ones and not feel too bad about it! lol  
> That certainly doesn't mean I won't post /anything/ new until I finish all the 'old' stuff, but I hate not finishing things I start, and I'm starting 2018 off with a bang! :D


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